The Finer Things in Life: Belonging
by SoftestWords
Summary: Alice has awakened to a new confusing life as a vampire in the midst of a brewing war. Of one thing she's absolutely sure. Mating is never easy. OOC,AU,A/B,J/E,Em/R,Es/C,L/I.
1. Chapter 1

The Finer Things in Life: Belonging

A/N: This is my first Twilight fanfic. Please be nice? Pretty please? I hope you guys enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea for this story. Bellice have minds of their own and have demanded that I let them out to play.

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><p>Mary Alice Brandon hadn't always felt too much for the finer things in life. How could she? She'd awakened to this life in a dark alley covered in mud.<p>

On shaky legs she stood with wet dirt and fabric clinging to her skin. The remnants of her uniform gave her the identity that still seemed foggy to her. The uniform was all she knew. The fabric was a worn in navy blue that seemed grayer than gray.

The only details she could affirm as interesting were the words scrawled across the right breast pocket of her shirt. The pocket was sewn shut but felt thick to the touch. She couldn't imagine the reasoning behind it. Alice traced the letters finding what she assumed to be her name emblazoned in scratchy thread. Mary Alice Brandon, Patient #38456, Woodbury Asylum. Alice balked at the words.

Asylum. Patient.

The words swiveled in her mouth as she repeated them over and over in a voice that sounded too beautiful to be her own. It sounded like wind chimes. Eventually the repetition was more for the benefit of her ears rather than to seek any meaning from them. Her voice was a high-pitched soprano peal that sent delight coursing through her. Despite the grime she was encased in, her voice filled her with pure joy. She wasn't broken. She wasn't damaged. She could speak and it sounded like the prettiest bird tittering about gracefully in it's own world.

Her vision blurred and she fell forward onto her knees. She expected pain from her fall but felt none. Her hands clawed at the surface before her and sliced through the hard asphalt. Shock struck her but couldn't hold her attention as images danced in her mind. An Eastern Blue Bird hopped along a stony window ledge chirping merrily at something beyond the glass. The room looked familiar to her but the memories were hazy.

Had she been there once? Possibly.

It was such a dreary looking space that Alice hoped it wasn't true. The walls were a drab grey and the floors were tiled in a faded yellow. Three-inch thick mattresses that appeared to have seen better days covered the metal beds. Above all the room was empty and contained so signs of life save for the bird peering anxiously into the room. She watched its grey and blue wings flutter as it bounced back and forth. It was looking for something not easily discernible. Alice suddenly wished she could speak its little language of tweets and chirps. Her vision became more focused on the bird and the window. As she moved closer, much faster than she ever thought she could, the reflection in the window shocked her and shattered her calm. A creature so still and perfect stared back at her. It had her nose and her lips, her cheekbones and soft smile. Her eyes were more red than the ripest apple. Sunlight escaped the clouds and an errant ray peered through the window warming her skin briefly and making it sparkle. Alice gasped. The bird tweeted happily. The bird had been looking for _her_.

Alice looked about the room and then down at her cheerless jumpsuit and hissed when the world locked in place.

Patient. Asylum. Asylum. Patient. She belonged here. The bird stopped its stream of sound as if pausing to contemplate Alice's noise of malcontent. It hopped closer and Alice seemed to not be able to keep her eyes off of it. She decided to comfort it. It was the only friend she had in this world. It wasn't much but it was something. Something beautiful and natural. Something she was starting to feel that she would never be, if she ever were, again. This little life was precious.

She brought her nose to the glass and inhaled the scent of brick, mortar, and something incredibly delicious. She couldn't place it and put the thought off for further inspection at a later date. She eyed the bird cautiously as it tilted its plump little head to the side.

"Hi, I'm Alice."

The bird chirped then squawked loudly as a dirty pale hand ripped it from its perch. It squeaked it's way to non-existence as Alice threw herself back from the window. Another pale hand gripped the ledge and its attached arm followed as a brunette woman pulled herself up to face Alice. She climbed onto the narrow ledge, balanced on the balls of her feet. The large window accommodated her tall lanky form.

Alice hissed angrily at the blood that dribbled from her lips and the blue feather that stuck to the woman's right cheek. She was dirty all over, dressed in a loose man's shirt and wool pants, barefoot and wore her hair loose and wild. She had killed the most beautiful thing in the world and screamed danger without uttering a word. Alice eyed her perfect red eyes with confusion and rage.

The woman smiled, showing sharp and bloody teeth, and tapped the glass until it cracked and broke at her feet.

Alice choked and sputtered as her vision refocused and she could see again the alley instead of the murderous woman. People moved beyond the alley on their daily business. Alice barely cast them a glance. She concentrated on trying to return to the images of the bird and the woman but found snippets of different scenarios at each attempt. She growled deeply. Some small part of her argued that it wasn't real but overall she knew no truth rested there. She'd seen it with her own eyes. If she began to doubt that then maybe she really did belong in an asylum.

She didn't think she was crazy. Alice paused awaiting for some sign to appear that she was. During this she heard the sounds of the city surrounding her. Water dripped down a nearby drain pipe and her throat began to itch terribly. She moved towards the water but felt no desire to drink it. Water was good wasn't it? Her body told her otherwise. No more than ten feet away a man stepped into the alley and leaned against the faded brinks. He procured a cigarette, lit it, and then began to smoke. Alice quirked an eyebrow and took a step forward. A powerful rhythm set her senses ablaze.

She closed her eyes and listened to the beat and became aware that it resonated from the man. His heart perhaps? Alice decided on a closer look and walked towards him. He didn't notice her approach, nor did he acknowledge the pounding beat that held her attention, it was a thudding drum by the time she came upon him. His head rolled in her direction and he screamed when he saw her.

"Geeze—where'd you come from?"

Alice gestured behind her. "Here."

Her throat constricted painfully with each beat of his mesmerizing drum.

"I'm going to listen now."

Alice stood no more than two inched from him and placed her head on his chest.

The beat was steady and caused her body to hum with a need she had been previously unaware of. What was it that she needed? His heart? She had one of her own. Didn't she? Alice paid no attention to the man's mystified demeanor. She continued her investigation and tore at the jumpsuit whe she reached for her own heart, encased in her tiny chest. Alice rested her fingers against her hard skin and waited. The man became hysterical.

"Shh." She said and he obeyed long enough for her to realize brokenly that her chest did not work like his. His heartbeat sped up and so did the pain and the need. They went hand and hand now to torture her mind with thoughts she didn't believe possible. She had no heart beat and yet she was still standing. She craved no other natural substance despite her throat feeling more dry than a desert.

"M—Ma'am."

"No."

"No what?"

Alice shuddered. The need hounded her and her mouth filled with an unfamiliar liquid. He shook and she placed her hands on his forearms.

"I'm so sorry."

"S-sorry for what?"

Alice spoke no more and threw him into the back of the alley, surprised by her strength and speed. She climbed atop of him, head resting on his chest again. The rate was faster than before. Alice crawled up him and pressed her lips against his neck.

She was so thirsty and her mouth salivated the most when she rested it against his veins. She shuddered in disgust as she bit down, piercing his skin, and began to drink the only thing that seemed to be able to sooth the want, need, and pain. Her throat moistened and dulled it's rampant torture in appreciation as she drained the man until his heart beat no more. The silence was deafening. Alice was a monster, just like the woman.

A beautiful and evil thing.

She searched for the bird again in her mind but kept coming up with the same view.

She cursed and growled and hissed. She was no better. Her body hurled itself away from the corpse. Cold. Dead. Like her. A pain in her chest forced a whimper from her lips. It felt like a light tugging then a stronger pull that eclipsed the attraction to the formerly beating heart. Her legs moved without her command and her mind edged out any room for reproach. It was as if she was to leave the area immediately and had somewhere else to be. Alice surrendered morosely and flew from the alley down the street. She crossed town at a dizzying rate until there were no more buildings, cars, or dark ground beneath her. Green grass stuck to her bare feet as she raced through the countryside alongside a dirt road.

When she first saw the building her undead heart started excitedly. The tall window was still intact and faced her and the ledge was unobstructed.

She had hope. Maybe she could save her little friend. A life for a life. Alice discovered that most of the humans were in the courtyard far away from her task. The few that lingered were closer but not unavoidable. No more killing. She promised herself right then and there that she'd never do what she did again. Life was too precious even if hers was lost before it even really began. She broke the lock on the back door and maneuvered down the halls from memories she didn't want to admit that she had. They were fuzzy and barely recognizable but they did the trick as she came upon what she assumed must have been her room.

She glanced about the melancholy mess of her old life and vowed to never life like that again. Whatever she had been she would no longer be. Her friend chirped at her arrival and Alice felt hope flutter in her chest even as her tiny friend bounced along oblivious to the impending threat. She had no time to waste and gripped the lower sash of the wooden window. Her hand went right through and the bird tweeted in surprise. Alice smiled at it hoping she didn't have the bloody teeth she'd seen on the woman. The bird hopped to the side as if accommodating Alice's attempts at rescue.

"Don't worry," Alice cooed. "I've got you."

"I'm Alice, remember?"

The bird cocked it's head to the side as Alice ripped the window frame from its place and threw it on the floor behind her. The wind blew in an unfamiliar scent and alarm clouded her cheerful features. Alice growled and reached for the bird but was beaten to the punch by the same pale hand as before. Amidst the squeaks and chirps of alarm Alice peered over the ledge to view the murdering bitch of her vision. She smiled toothily at Alice, swung her feet forward and braced them on the wall, then pushed off and executed a solid flip.

"Not this time," Alice hissed. She dove from the window crashing down on the body before her. She heard fluttering wings and squawks of terror that became more distant after she and her captive hit the ground.

Alice glanced up and watched mournfully as the little bird disappeared into the distance. Her distraction proved to be a gross misstep on her part as suddenly her legs were swept out from beneath her and her body was pinned to the ground faster than she could blink.

She looked up at her captor's triumphant grin with a petulant look of her own. The grin morphed into a smirk that sent a pleasurable chill down Alice's spine. Red eyes bore into hers and brown hair tickled her neck as the woman above her leaned down and rested herself on Alice's chest. Her arms were folded with her head resting neatly on top of them. Her eyes widened and lit. She looked wild.

"Hello Alice," the woman chimed throatily. Alice perked at the beautiful although hoarse sound. She wondered what obstruction had caused it briefly and how it could be fixed before snapping back to her anger. This woman tried to kill her bird. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by a light vibration tickling her chest and the sound of deep purring emanating from the woman on top of her. She'd rested her head against Alice's chest.

"I'm Bella," the woman introduced herself as if the situation weren't out of the ordinary. As if it were a totally normal afternoon and they'd just met to talk about books or the weather, or politics. Perhaps there'd be tea and biscuits. Oh, oh, and little bit of cheese. Alice laughed but was unaware of why.

Her arms automatically reached up to wrap around the woman who snuggled closer to her and placed her head right in the crook of Alice's neck.

"Mine," the woman, Bella, purred contentedly. Alice sighed. What the hell kind of afterlife was this?

Bella repeated herself over and over and then sat up abruptly and placed her fingers to Alice's lips. Alice sat up with her. Footsteps approached from the other side of the building and startled voices shouted above them. Alice heard Bella growl then move to get off of her.

"No!" Alice shouted, gaining her attention instantly. Bella looked her over quickly as if to assess a problem. Alice shook her head. "Don't hurt them."

"I'm not going to hurt," Bella's voice was stilted.

"Right."

The footsteps became louder and the metallic sound of a gun cocking became apparent before either of them even saw the men approach. Alice hissed and Bella leapt to her feet.

"No hurt. Just kill."

Alice jumped up but Bella was faster. Screams surrounded them and Alice sank to the ground watching Bella leap and dance her way through the men, leaving a bloody trail of corpses behind her. The smell of spilled blood sent Alice into a frenzy of need so much stronger than before. Even more than that she felt the need to follow Bella. Her chest ached painfully now that she was away. Alice hiss and growled in protest. She didn't want to kill. She couldn't kill. But the blood smelled so good. So fresh and delicious. Once again her body moved for her almost removing her mind from the equation. She struggled against it and forced herself to her knees. She gripped the earth beneath her hoping that it would tie her down. She didn't want this.

The blood invaded every sense she had. She could see it dribbling from the downed men and smell it creeping closer, she could hear the fading heart beats and recalled the unforgettable taste she'd had of it before. Craving was an understatement. Blood was her ultimate quarry. She sobbed. The pain was back and stronger than ever. With a start she realized that no tears slipped down her cheeks. Apparently death had taken that from her, too.

Alice slumped forward disappointed in herself for not following Bella and wondering if she were safe, for not taking the blood that her body desired, for not ripping apart the men herself for daring to approach them with murder in their minds. She choked back another sob and snarled regretfully. The release she needed didn't exist anymore. The only one left laid before her.

The screaming stopped. Alice keened in response. Seconds later a woman's body appeared before her, warm and shuddering in terror. Alice moved away from it only to be pinned down by Bella's piercing stare.

"Drink?"

Alice shook her head and Bella's lower lip jutted out in disappointment. Alice whimpered at the sight, forgetting the guilt and destruction that she could see with her own eyes before her. She inched forward and watched Bella's eyes light in anticipation. The brunette crouched down and with the woman between them she reached out and stroked Alice's cheek. Alice hissed at the contact, both disgusted and aroused. The need for blood and the need for more of that touch intermingled. Bella gripped the body, drawing another long hiss from Alice, and held it up to Alice's lips.

Alice let go and bit down feeding slowly from her prey. Bella giggled and joined in, chomping down on the woman's right thigh while still holding her up.

Alice let the flow of the blood soothe her and the presence of Bella excite her. It stirred a feeling of intense relief and power within her. This was where she belonged.

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><p>And….scene! A little ridiculous, I know, but I hope you like it. Better yet, I hope you review and tell me what you think of it! So c'mon leave me some words—good or bad. There will be more if I hear from you guys. If not then I'll leave it where it is and be on my merry way.<p>

BTW: This is a picture of that silly bird. .info/photo_gallery/eastern_


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: *waves* Thanks for all of the reviews and notifications. I wasn't really expecting anyone to pop up and respond like that but I'm extremely grateful that you all did. I've responded to all of the reviews and it looks like I'll be expanding this story a bit. I had an idea for how it would go but I wasn't sure I wanted to invest in it if no one was going to read. Hopefully you guys will continue to journey with me on this story. Alice and Bella have a long road ahead of them. I will warn you that this chapter does get a little violent but it'll probably be as far as I'd ever go concerning such matters. If I do I'll warn you guys again. With that said, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters only their characterizations.

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><p>Alice shrank back once she'd had her fill, feeling sloshy and sated. Bella finished shortly after and crawled over the body, as if it were a mere afterthought, to reach her.<p>

"Why did you jump out of the window, Alice? I was coming to get you."

"You tried to eat my bird," Alice muttered struck by how silly it sounded now. She was a monster. How could she even be linked to something so pure and innocent? Alice sighed and Bella reached out to stroke her cheek.

"Such a silly mate I have," Bella's voice was much lighter now. Alice quirked an eyebrow at her words.

Mate?

It sounded right although Alice couldn't reconcile the carnage behind them with the woman soothing her now. Bella stood and pulled Alice up with her.

"We have to run now, before they catch us."

"Who?"

Bella chuckled. "The humans of course. They've called in re-enforcements."

Alice listened closely and could hear the sirens miles away. It astounded her.

"How far away?"

"A good forty miles or so," Bella announced proudly. She rubbed her throat afterwards.

"We can hear them? That far?"

Bella's eyebrows rose. "Newborn. But how?"

Bella backed away from her for the first time during their encounter and Alice barely resisted the urge to be closer to her. Bella looked more like she belonged in the building behind her rather than standing here in front of her. She'd just seen her murder no less than twelve people and terrorize countless others and yet Alice felt like the distance between them was far too much for her to function.

"I-I don't know. I woke up in an alley."

"That lying bitch. Katyana will pay dearly for this," Bella said then released a growl that should have terrified Alice. Instead of shaking in her theoretical boots Alice felt a rush of pleasure from the outburst. If she could have blushed, her face would have been beet red.

"Who is Katyana?"

"The Truth Sayer. The best in the world. Or so Maria has told us."

"Maria? Truth Sayer? I don't understand."

"We need to go," Bella's voice broached no argument. Alice wasn't sure she could come up with a good enough one to keep them here. She was attached to Bella now, in a way she both feared and treasured. It was a connection to someone and that was something she felt deep in her black soul that she'd gone far too long without. Though she couldn't remember much of anything beyond her awakening she could feel that loneliness had once been a close friend of hers.

Despite feeling weak for doing so, Alice nodded. Bella held out her hand to her and without question Alice took it. This was going to be one hell of a journey.

They ran for hours it seemed. As day bled into night and night surrendered to dawn Alice couldn't get a grasp on where they were going. Eventually she stopped caring and began focusing on what needed to happen once they got there. She needed to confirm what she was. How it was possible that she ended up the way she did. And what in God's name did Bella mean by mate. She swallowed thickly and immediately Bella slowed down and turned to face her.

"Alice?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"Are you thirsty, my mate?"

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Because it's who you are."

Alice gulped. If that meant she somehow belonged to this woman she couldn't quite wrap her mind around the logistics. She didn't know her and, although, she felt connected to her somehow, that didn't mean that she had ownership over her or anything.

"You're going to have to explain that to me," Alice responded. Bella ran her fingers through her long tangled mane. Her fingers hit a snag and she tugged until the hair came out in a thick mess. She shook it off as if it were venomous and inhaled deeply. She drew back her lips in an earnest smile.

"You smell amazing. Like the warmest spring."

"Bella…" Alice intoned contritely trying not to be overcome by the compliment. She found a spot on a nearby tree to focus on but her mind kept jumping to other things. The rustle of fall leaves on the ground, the chirp of birds in the air, the scent of cinnamon and cloves. Alice sniffed again, more in Bella's direction, and inhaled the earthy floral scent. Bella. _Her_ Bella.

"Do you know what happened to you?"

"I'm dead."

Bella nodded. "And yet you walk about as a living corpse."

Alice glanced up at her in confusion. Bella's eyes widened in amazement and Alice found herself feeling quite silly. She knew. She didn't want to admit it for fear that she would have to actually believe in it the same way she believed that the sky was blue. She clung to the thought that she was living in some sort of purgatory even though her subconscious knew different. It all fit, and had come together before in the alley, but to hear Bella confirm it would make it finite.

"You know what you are, Alice."

Alice shuddered at the thought. It was her last fleeting thought of redemption.

"Amor sanguinis," Bella's voice rolled nicely with the latin term. Alice marveled silently at how she could understand the language and not remember her past.

"Blood lover," Alice translated silently. "Vampire."

"Think about it, my mate, when you awoke and heard all of those thick juicy human heartbeats, what did you want to do the most? Skip through the forest singing a song or sink your teeth into the nearest jugular and drink?"

Alice hissed at how close the image came to fact. "I just wanted to know what happened. I saw you."

It was Bella's turn to be confused. "Were you at the asylum when you were changed?"

"Changed?"

"Bitten and turned into what you are."

"No. Well, I guess I don't know, really. I awoke in an alley, like I said, and there was no one. My vision became hazy but then I saw you clear as day eating my bird."

"I ate a bird?" Bella's lip curled in disgust. "Animal blood is disgusting. Why would I ever eat that?"

"I don't know but you did and then the alley appeared again and—"

"What happened next?"

Alice looked away. A firm grasp on her chin made her turn back to Bella's piercing red gaze. Surprisingly her expression went soft.

"What happened?"

"I murdered a man who walked into the alley. He smelled…heavenly."

"You ate your lunch Alice."

"I murdered a man! That man did nothing to deserve—"

"You did what you were made to do, Alice. You killed him and drank his blood. That's what we do. That's what vampires do."

"Then I want no part of it."

"No part in what? Living?"

Alice hissed tearing at her shortly cropped black hair. "How can you call what we are living Bella? Look at me! I'm evil."

"You're beautiful."

Alice hissed again.

"Well, you are. Have you had a look at yourself since you awakened, mate?"

"Stop calling me that!"

Alice almost regretted saying the words immediately after. She watched the brief flicker of pain flash across Bella's eyes. "This isn't what was supposed to happen. Katyana I'm going to kill you."

"Who _is_ this Katyana?"

"She's apart of my coven, well, former coven. She can see the truth of anyone's life. What they are down to their very core, who they belong to, where they'll end up."

"She can see the future?" Alice's interest was piqued.

"She can see everything—or at least—I thought she could. She said that I'd find my mate here and that her past would be a mystery but her future would be bright and illustrious. She said that I would be her sire and we would lead full lives together for all of eternity with my family."

"She must have been mistaken."

Bella winced at Alice's declaration. Alice whimpered uncontrollably. She didn't know how but she could sense that the pain Bella was in was much more than she was giving off. Alice began to take back her words when Bella shook her head dismissively.

"She must have."

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><p>They started running again. This time Bella didn't run with her but in front of her. She was fast but Alice couldn't help but catch up and run beside her. It felt as if she were faster that Bella but not knowing where they were going she had to let the taller brunette lead. The silence between them was thick. Alice knew that she'd screwed up by insulting Bella's belief in her friend but the truth was that she didn't know what to make of this.<p>

She'd fallen into a demented fairy tale where creatures of the night drank blood and supposedly slept in coffins. The last bit she knew had to be untrue. They'd met during the day and hadn't burnt to a crisp. The blood thing was unavoidable. Alice had craved the blood since her awakening and realized it was only dulled by the vision that she'd had. Something else she'd been thinking of. Learning of Bella's truth sayer only made Alice sure that what she'd seen in the alley was more than a hallucination.

Alice had come back to the asylum and Bella had tried to kill her bird. Only Bella hadn't actually killed the bird. She'd let it go and they met amongst the dirt and grass. That it had happened to the point of near synchronicity with her vision only propelled the belief that it was a possible future to the forefront of Alice's mind. She could see the future or at least a possible outcome. Alice tucked the information away in her thoughts. She didn't want to consider what Bella would do with the information, good or bad.

Alice watched the wild woman in front of her and became aware of the bounce of her body as she bobbed and weaved through the forest. Bella was wild, but she was beautiful. Her long hair fanned out behind her and her crimson eyes narrowed in determination. She hadn't spoken a word since they stopped last and Alice was beginning to go stir crazy from the lack of conversation. Or was it the lack of Bella's attention? She hadn't hazarded a look back at her in the past eight hours of running. Alice wasn't even sure that Bella had been aware of her at all.

Did she still mean for her to follow? Every time Alice thought about asking she convinced herself that she wasn't quite sure she wanted the answer. The silence was a bother, though. It left Alice to become more and more aware of what she was and what she could do. She could separate the sound of a buzzing bee from the rush of the wind. She could see ahead for miles and gaze upon the fine grain of the leaves falling to their earthly graves before even passing them by. She could pick out each and every bite mark on Bella's neck and calves. She wondered why Bella had them in the first place. Someone had to have attacked her in order for them to happen or maybe it was the other way around. She imagined Bella in small squabbles or brawls and on battlefields tackling hundreds of our kind. Each scenario filled Alice with a rage she could barely keep in check.

She stopped looking or tried to at least. Bella was a big girl. She knew how to take care of herself. She was still here wasn't she?

Bella tossed her hair to the side and glanced off to the right. Her eyes scanned the land while she ran and Alice swore that she kept her eyes from purposefully finding her face. As this happened Alice took notice to one particularly deep mark on her throat, right where her jugular would be. Alice hissed and Bella stopped finally to acknowledge her.

She regarded her with a concerned look. "Something the matter, my…er..Alice?"

"Someone…who?" Every part of Alice shook in anger as she approached. She could have sworn she saw Bella brace herself. For what, she didn't know. Alice reached out and traced the scar on the other woman's throat. Bella sighed at the contact.

"Two months ago. Claiming ceremony."

"Explain." Alice demanded. She was surprised by the tenor of her voice but ignored it for the time being.

"It's something my coven does when our leader, Maria, picks a member of her guard. We are hers, forever and always bonded through venom."

Alice opened her mouth and Bella continued, raising her hand to stop her. "Venom is what runs through you now instead of the blood. When you're initially bitten it seeps into your system and uses the blood in your tissues to create more. It multiplies and becomes stronger once you're done changing. You're stronger than me, even now. I'm only eight months older than you are but you could crush me in an instant. I'm actually surprised that you haven't already."

Alice was taken aback, partially because this was the most Bella had spoken to her since they met, and because she'd said that she was only a few months older and by that stretch weaker.

"It's the blood. Did you notice how my voice got better after I drank?"

Alice nodded. "The blood, human blood at least, gives us strength to heal. If you're well fed then you can heal very quickly. If not…let's just say that it's a long painful process."

Alice's eyes widened and her fists tightened. "Someone hurt you when you tried to get to me."

Bella's jaw clenched. She inclined her head north then tipped her head up to the sky and smiled. "Something like that."

Alice's jaw dropped. "Why?"

"Because they thought if I found my mate I'd never come back to them. Seeing as how you're not my mate, I guess it was all for naught. I belong to no one but my mistress and I should return and await my punishment."

Alarm coursed thorough Alice. "N-no."

"No?" Bella looked at her. "You said so yourself. The truth sayer was mistaken. You're not my mate, although you've been following me for nearly two days. You said you're not my mate, despite the fact that it angers you that someone would deign to harm me in any manner. You're sure that you feel nothing for me even though you seem to care nothing for the reasons as to why you've become what you are. You can't leave me."

Alice shook her head. "I've been distracted."

Bella grimaced. "I'm only a distraction to your true purpose?"

"I don't have a true purpose."

"Then tell me, Alice, could you turn around and leave me right now? Go ahead and try."

Alice hissed at the mere thought then covered her mouth in surprise. These automatic reactions were going to get her in trouble one day. Her red eyes glanced in the direction from whence they'd come and she turned her whole body in the direction with intent. She could do this. She could run. One foot in front of the other was all it took. Alice inhaled deeply to clear her head but only succeeded in smelling Bella's wonderful scent. She suddenly felt lighter than she had in the whole day.

"Bella," Alice sighed delicately.

"Yes Alice?"

"I'm going to leave now."

"Oh, certainly. Well it was nice meeting you."

"Surely."

"Ta-ta."

"Good bye for now."

Alice nodded at that and lifted one foot and put it back down and repeated the process with her other leg. Her chest clenched and her mind screamed at her that it was wrong. She mentally batted the thought away. She was stronger than Bella, right? She could certainly run from her. Alice tried the motion again but felt as if someone had lassoed her and was proceeding to pull her back. Alice looked over her shoulder to see if there was any truth to the thought. Bella sighed and pulled an imaginary pocket watch from her mangled pockets. She glanced at it, tapped the non-existent glass casing, and then looked back at Alice with amusement. Alice hissed and tried the forced movements again. Step by step she'd moved ten feet away from Bella. Each step she took made her chest hurt more than before. She took deep breaths and ignored it.

"Are you a vampire or a snail?" Bella called out. "From back here I can't tell."

Alice growled at that. She picked up her pace making the steps faster and closer together until she was at a full run. She waited for her lungs to constrict at the exercise but nothing came of her brisk movement. Nothing except the pull she felt anchoring her to where Bella stood. Alice grinned. She could get away from Bella if she wanted to. She kept going and the pull became more like a sharp insistent tug. She wondered if it were Bella causing it or just the fact that they were separated.

How odd. Alice leapt over a downed tree and her foot found purchase on the rotted bark. It should have caved beneath her feet but in an instant she was airborne, the muscles in her leg contracted to facilitate the jump before she even thought about doing it.

She laughed into a gust of wind and enjoyed the wind whipping at her invincible skin. Her glee was short lived as she breathed in the fresh air and was brought the most delightful scent. Instantly the foreign liquid invaded her mouth again and her body jerked to a stop in the safety of a nearby tree. She crouched along the thick branches, sniffed the air, and caught the aroma due east of her. Her hand flew up to her chest as the pull became more like someone jerking on an invisible rope. She listened and could hear the squish of several full-sized heartbeats and Bella's furious steps towards her. Alice's lips drew back over her teeth in a snarl. The heartbeats were hers and she would have them.

She tore through the forest, using her strength to shove off from the branches and nearly fly through the treetops, leaping from branch to branch. The heartbeats became louder and the smell became more potent. Alice couldn't stop herself if she tried. It appeared she was on a crash course for her meal with no way to pause and think about the repercussions. There was only the need rolling through her uncontrollably driving her every move until she finally came upon the vagrant family below her. Two men and three women moved about setting up camp. Alice stalked about the large tree she inhabited to gain the best course of action. She could feel the yank of the rope behind her becoming more powerful by the second. Bella was faster than she'd expected.

Alice let the need take the reins and send her careening down onto one of the taller men. God, they all smelled delicious. Alice had crushed him beneath her weight until she heard something precious snap and rose to stalk the rest. Behind her the man moaned in agony unable to move. Alice glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Not to worry mister, my m—friend will be here to take care of you soon," Alice took off without another word, like a shot from pistol, into the forest. She downed two of the women and drained them quickly. She felt insatiable, powerful, and weak all at once. The need was something she couldn't say no to and as she dove for the second man her last few shreds of humanity were stolen from her. Her body radiated invincibility as she crashed into trees in order to grasp and tear into skin. She chased down the woman and by some stroke of guilt for leaving Bella with almost nothing she brought her back, screaming and kicking, to the clearing where the taller man laid crumpled and whining in pain.

The woman screamed at her and clawed at her face. Alice growled back at the attack and took her life, once again feeling guilty that Bella would have nothing. The thought of Bella's needs warred with her own causing a brief moment in her haze of thirst.

Alice sat on the forest floor with the body of the woman before her. Blood coated her fingers and she'd begun to languidly lick them clean. The whining of the man behind her became more intelligible to her.

"Please just kill me," he wept. "Don't leave me here."

Alice looked over her shoulder to stare at him. His face was sternly constructed but his eyes and cheeks were wet with tears. His lips curled to complete the anguished expression as if he'd lost everything. Alice blinked and tilted her head to the side. It occurred to her that he had a father's face. He was older, with deep wrinkles beside his eyes and around his mouth. His leathery skin betrayed his life of long days spent in the sun. His grimace of pain revealed the leathery wrinkles one by one and Alice could only imagine how each one had been worn in to their obvious appearance be it from joy or malcontent.

It was the face of a man who'd seen so much life and now watched his entire family be reduced to nothing. It felt familiar to Alice although no memory existed for her to rest her knowledge on. It was as if the familiarity just hung there, suspended in her mind as a small piece to the puzzle of her former life. She inhaled the scent of his blood but felt no need to drain him. It seemed that the thirst had lifted.

The tug at her chest had been reduced to just a small pull and Alice inclined her gaze to the tree tops where Bella rested on a tree branch. Bella leapt down sending the man into a startled keen of alarm and fear. Alice looked to Bella, whose face held nothing but love and compassion for her, then back at the man.

"It's okay Alice, I don't need to feed."

Alice's gaze shot sharply back to Bella's knowing expression.

Bella nodded and Alice glided forward and knelt before the man. Without a single word she reached out and snapped his neck. The sharp sound broke her and she crumpled beside him. Bella instantly hovered, crouching over her and checking her for injury. Alice felt relieved at the gesture although she hadn't been harmed physically in anyway.

"Don't do that again, Alice," Bella commanded softly. "I won't have you hurt in anyway."

"I'm damaged more than you could possibly think."

"You don't know that," Bella stated nonchalantly.

"Look what I did."

"It's my fault. I should have sensed—"

"I did this, Bella! I murdered an entire family with no thought or concern for their lives. I'm a monster!"

"Alice, what do you remember of your human life?"

Alice screwed up her features to look at Bella as if she'd gone mad.

"Before you ended up in the alley, what do you recall?"

Alice concentrated on the days and found it remarkable that she could recall the entire time in a startling amount of detail. She could remember the exact color coat the man she'd drank from wore, the positioning of the sun in the sky when she'd awoken, and the pattern of the clouds she'd first seen when she opened her new eyes.

Beyond that there was nothing. A faded view of a melancholy room and people feeding her human food and even that seemed fuzzy.

"I don't know—nothing I suppose."

"Nothing at all?"

Alice nodded her head in affirmation.

"Then how do you know that you're evil if you don't even remember who you are? It sounds like a clean slate to me and you can't be damaged goods with a clean slate, can you?" Bella asked with a knowing smile tugging on her perfectly formed red lips. Alice made a very unladylike noise in her first response.

"But—"

"Yes, you killed those people. You drank from them and terrorized them. You're a newborn vampire, Alice. These things—they happen. You were doing what your body told you to do."

"If I were human—"

"—but you're not."

Alice sobbed and Bella pulled her closer to her hard form. Alice went willingly into her arms craving the comfort that emanated from Bella's every touch and word. Alice buried her face in the crook of Bella's neck as Bella stroked her back.

"I don't want to do that ever again. I can't keep hurting innocent people," Alice whispered between them. "

If that's what you want, we'll find a way."

Alice started in surprise. Bella's hands soothed her back down.

"I'm your mate, Alice. I know this because I can feel you and your happiness and well-being supplants my own survival."

"When I chased down the last woman I kept thinking of you and whether or not you needed blood," Alice admitted softly. Bella smiled down at her.

"See, a vampire's thirst is the most powerful force to them besides the mating bond. Often times you or I will feel the need to provide for each other despite the thirst thrumming through us. It's our bond."

"Thirst, mating, pulls, I don't know any of this," Alice hissed unhappily.

Bella continued to trace a line up and down Alice's spine as she answered her. "As your mate, and the older party, I'm responsible for exposing you to our world and preparing you for your life as a vampire."

"Responsible, like a parent?"

"Sort of. You see, usually, the vampire who sired you would fill the job. It's actually illegal for a vampire to dine and ditch when they know that a new vamp will come out of the situation. They are bound by vampire law to raise the new born vampire until they can follow the laws of our kind willingly and unerringly."

Alice scrunched her face. Vampire law? She supposed it could be true for as much as she knew of the new life she'd been born into. She recounted the day again trying to glean new facts from her recent memories. The earliest she could recall was opening her eyes and the sound of footsteps leaving her.

"Who sired me?"

Bella hissed in response. "I don't know, love. Someone who didn't want me to find you."

The new theory caused Alice's insides to twist. Someone hadn't wanted her to find Bella? If what Bella's truth sayer had predicted was true and Bella had been meant to sire her but couldn't because someone had intervened then it was entirely possible that the other pieces of her prediction were at risk. Alice closed her eyes, not feeling tired but sensing that it was what her body needed. She gave in, not even opening them again when Bella growled angrily and gripped her body tighter.

Alice drifted off to another image, which felt like a dream, of her and Bella lying on the ground. Footsteps approached and soon three men, who could only be vampires, with gleaming red eyes and twisted smiles filled with malice, invaded the clearing.

"Don't you fucking dare," Bella's voice came in the dream and one of the men stepped forward into a low crouch.

"Well, look what we have here, Maria must be very angry with you."

Alice shot up and Bella went with her, instantly moving her so that she stood behind her. Alice blinked away the haze of her vision.

"They're going to want to fight. Something about Maria being angry…" Alice muttered in confusion. Bella glanced at her in amazement. Alice knew Bella wanted to know who she knew but it wasn't the time for that conversation.

"I think we should leave," Alice sniffed the air and could smell their scent coming closer at a rapid pace. They weren't wasting any time trying to get to her and her mate.

Bella shook her head. "If it's who I think it is the point would be moot. They'll track us down and we'll just be worn down and destroyed at the end of it. We stand and fight."

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><p>I hope you guys liked it. Let me know how you feel! C'mon click that button and leave me some love.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you so much for all of the alerts and the reviews. I was surprised to see this favorited so much! I hope you guys enjoy the latest installment. I'm feeling inspired and am already working on the next chapter. If you guys are confused with this chapter I must apologize, all will be revealed (including Bella's past with Maria's Army and why Alice isn't your typical newborn) in due time. I'm actually pretty unsure about this chapter, I wasn't entirely pleased with it's outcome but my outline kind of called for it. Ah, well, I hope it doesn't disappoint! :) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: You know I don't own this.

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><p>Alice hadn't stopped snarling since the two men had approached the clearing. They each stood at what Alice would have guessed to be six foot four inches tall, were muscle bound, and identically beautiful. She guessed their built structure would have some bearing on their strength in a fight and wondered briefly if her supposed newborn strength could over power one of them. Bella's hand on her forearm tightened in a reflex to the slow steps the men took that brought them into the small circle of open earth. The movement was a small comfort. Bella would protect her until death. Alice was determined that she wouldn't let it come anywhere close to that.<p>

They hadn't covered death yet, and Alice wasn't sure if it were possible for her to die again, but she had already decided that if it came down to it she would be sure to preserve Bella's life over her own. Bella hissed when they actually stepped foot in the clearing and took a step back taking Alice with her inclining her head right. Alice followed her silent command and moved more fully behind her. Bella's tall frame mostly blocked her from view.

The two men stalked forward coming to a hesitant stop several feet away when Bella drew back her lips and growled. Their crimson eyes beheld both mirth and contempt and were directed solely at Bella. It became evident to her as she peered around Bella's side that they were bare-chested and, save for the same type of dirty wool slacks Bella wore, were adorned in nothing else. Dirt covered their brawny frames, which were also littered in bite marks and one that mirrored the one Bella had on her neck at the base of their own. The hairs on the back of Alice's neck rose as she began to count the scars. Each one she added to the list sent a dose of apprehension shooting through her. They were dangerous, especially when they revealed their predatory smiles.

"Well, look what we have here," the one on the right said then crossed his arms over his broad chest. Bella snarled at them both. The grip on her arm became tighter by the second, although it had yet to actually hurt.

"You sure as hell have pissed Maria off," the one on the left drawled lazily. His gaze dragged over Bella's form slowly, stopping to admire her breasts. Alice hissed and Bella gasped.

The one on the right tilted his head and grinned at Alice outright. His smile was nothing if not deadly. "I'm surprised you found her."

"You'd be surprised if you could find your own balls, Julio, or that of your brothers," Bella sneered. "Although, I'm sure Maria likes having the matching sets sitting on her mantle."

Julio smirked at Bella. "You know very well, Isabella, my balls are no where else but attached to my person. Tell me, little Isabella, did you miss us these past few nights?"

Bella shook slightly and Alice began snarling uncontrollably. They had touched Bella. How dare they?

"I'm sure you weren't meant to hear that," the one with no name called out to her. Bella's grip almost became painful.

"You _are_ her mate after all?" He taunted. "How sublime that the talented Isabella Swan, the Major's pet and Maria's prized bitch, has such a weak little child for a mate."

"You'll take care to remember how I earned my reputation, boys," Bella barked. "I don't take kindly to you insulting her."

Julio chuckled, gripping his sides as his raucous laughter filled the clearing. "You don't have the luxury of choosing how we talk to you or about your little bitch anymore. You pissed off the Mistress when you abandoned our coven, that offense is punishable by death as you know."

"So you're here to take me back?" Bella questioned. Alice shook her head into her side already feeling it wasn't so.

"Yes and no, sweet Isabella," the one with no name answered.

"We were sent to bring you to our Mistress for treason, whole and sound if possible," Julio announced regally. His pride at having been sent to do the bidding of his mistress was profoundly worn in by the smug expression on his face. "But without her mind reader and own personal lie detector, how will she know fact from fiction, eh?"

"She'll kill you for disobeying," Bella said, pushing them further back into the tree line. Alice frowned into her shoulder.

"Will she Isabella? When we bring her your little family on a silver platter, I think her reaction will be quite different. Oh, yes, she'll be miffed she didn't get to tear you to pieces herself but we'll get the credit for revealing the depth of your treachery. Yours and that filthy bastard—"

"Enough!" Bella shouted.

Both looked at her dubiously.

"So, you're here to fight me and take away my life now that I've found more than enough reason to live?"

Their silence bid her their answer.

"Well, c'mon and get me boys, we'll see how long you last."

She pushed Alice back until a few feet stood between them.

"Juan," Julio nodded to his twin. "Would you like the honor?"

Juan's teeth gleamed devilishly in the rays of sun poking through the trees. Alice immediately dropped into a crouch at which Julio chuckled.

"True death will look absolutely stunning on you, Isabella," Juan said then lifted his gaze to the sky.

The leaves rustled and the branches above them cracked and broke in a cacophony of shredding bark. Bella crouched with her eyes on the sky as well.

"Alice, whatever you do, don't move," she commanded softly. Alice watched the branches come racing down towards them as their leaves broke off and swirled about to manifest billowing winds bent on crashing down on their heads. Alice shrieked and tried to see another way out for her and her mate but her vision only clouded slightly for a few seconds at a time. Nothing came to her and panic set in.

She reached out to Bella just at the barrage of nature came to a halt just above them. Alice gaped at the branches, twigs, and the swirling mass of earth that surrounded them in an oval-like dome. They sped and wound their way from top to bottom trying to find purchase along the invisible and seemingly impenetrable shield surrounding them.

"I-Is that you protecting us?"

Her mate only nodded in the affirmative. Alice watched Juan growl in frustration.

"Same old tricks from the same pathetic bag," Bella ground out. She looked back to the twins.

"Last chance boys! Run back to your mistress with your tails between your legs or be destroyed for attempting to harm myself and my mate."

Julio glanced at Juan who nodded without having to look at his brother. The air shifted beyond the shield as the wind still whipped around it, stirring up a frenzy of dirt. Alice began to wonder what Julio could do when he charged them. Electricity shot through Alice's form the instant he moved.

"Alice! Don't!" Bella shouted. Alice couldn't hear her. Julio was coming after her unguarded mate and by nature; Alice was determined to defend her. Alice ran past Bella and through the swirling tornado before them.

"No! Stop!" Bella's voice tickled her senses but as before, when she'd caught the scent of the humans, Alice was running on pure instinct. The blood from her previous meal coursed through her and she felt her body ring with power as she thundered forward and into Julio's waiting arms.

She tackled him, slamming them both back onto the hard earth. His arms were around her at once and she felt her ribs buckle under the pressure. She actually sat, quite literally, on his chest with her arms free for movement. She was not an experienced fighter, which she could feel in the small bits of panic between struggles, but she let her emotions drive her and curled her small hands into fists. She swung at him, catching his jaw in a fierce blow that to her surprise set multiple fissures across his porcelain skin. She shrieked in pain when one of her ribs cracked. She knew she had to move.

She snapped forward and with her legs still wrapped tightly around Julio's waist she planted her hands on the ground and pushed herself up bringing Julio with her. She arched her back and released him from her grasp sending him crashing to the ground. Alice swung back to crouch low. Julio righted himself as she came at him again, vaguely aware of Bella's pull to her. She glanced back to be sure her mate was alright and was surprised to find her still standing batting with Juan's manipulation of the wind.

Julio's enraged cry brought her back to reality. He'd managed to tackle her this time. Alice fell back beneath his weight and immediately wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. It seemed like her best option especially when he began growling and clawing at her at a more rapid pace. She squeezed more forcefully effectively crushing his ribs and coming dangerously close to his spinal chord.

Alice bore down on him and took punch to the face that only fueled her fire. Julio called out to his brother, who'd been engrossed in his deadlock with Bella. Alice swayed with Julio in her arms, collapsing to the ground. The struggled until Alice wrapped her legs around Julio's. Her small body only had his arms to contend with and the annoyance of his strangled voice.

"Juan!"

"Alice!" Bella's scream was muffled by the winds that wrapped around her suddenly. She maintained her grip on Julio and shot a look to Bella who still remained in her shield. Her mate looked weary and furious all at once and Alice yearned to go to her but knew that letting go of Julio, would be the end of them both. She flew backwards into a nearby tree with Julio still in her arms. The force matched with her unwavering grip on his legs and torso caused a horrifying screech to come forth. The strain in Alice's legs disappeared. She looked down to see Julio's legs lying on the ground below. Immediately the wind ceased and they fell.

Alice landed on the balls of her feet.

Juan turned to her and growled fiercely.

Alice was at a loss. Julio cursed beneath her, muttering words of revenge. Tired of his voice, Alice slammed her fist into the back of his skull effectively cutting off his words and sending a spray of yellowed liquid flying up at her.

He raced forward intent on avenging the harm done to his twin. His roar filled the clearing mingling with Bella's own screams. Alice watched her mate step forward, lift her arms and push forward at some invisible foe. No sooner had she done this did Julio yelp in surprise and fly past her crashing into the tree to her right. The horrible metallic noise followed a symphony of cracked wood and demolished forest floor. Alice struggled to her feet and was shocked to discover Juan pinned to the tree and his shoulder still separating his arm from his body, inch by agonizing inch. The tree he was pressed against had split under the strain. The remainder of the trunk rested against the remains of the tree behind it, which was also bent. Actually, as Alice's gaze surveyed the new landscape, most of the trees had been swept away and downed leaving their thick stumps behind. The ground was torn up in trails that led to an impressive pile of bark. Bella approached and placed her hand on Alice's shoulder.

"I need you to rip him apart," Bella's exhausted voice alarmed her. She sounded drained.

"Alice," Bella sounded more firm. "Please."

Alice gazed at her mate's tired face and leaned forward to place a small kiss on her cheek before striding forward.

"I can only hold him for so long," Bella announced. "Start with the head."

Alice nodded and darted forward, arms outstretched, and grasped his head. She turned it in her hands quickly and winced at the noise his decapitation made not to mention his shrieks of terror.

"Bury it," Bella instructed and Alice obeyed. She dug a small hole, deposited the head, and then covered it back up. The ghastly expression on his face disappeared quickly. Bella instructed her further to remove his limbs and bury them further apart, his torso being the last to disappear into it's own shallow grave.

Alice raced back after her task was finished and came to a halt at Bella's side. Her arms immediately encircled her, pulling her close. Only when Bella began to whimper did Alice remember her strength.

"I'm sorry you had to do that," Bella murmured. She leaned down and pressed her lips to Alice's mop of black hair.

"It's not everyday someone tells you to decapitate a person," Alice remarked with a careless shrug.

"Well, I was fresh out of matches," Bella said with a forced chuckle. The action seemed to make her weaker. Alice pulled back to ask for an explanation but found herself confounded by Bella's drooping eyes. They'd run for nearly two days straight without rest, she'd assumed that they didn't need any.

"Tell me what you need, Bella."

"I'm fine, my mate, don't worry," Bella said. Alice couldn't ignore that fact that she'd begun to lean on her for support. The smaller woman shook her head.

"Don't lie to me. I can't help if you don't tell me what you need."

"Blood," Bella answered. "I need to hunt—humans."

Alice frowned. The idea of hurting another innocent did battle with her mate's obvious need. Guilt rose in her at the decision she didn't even seem to need to debate. Bella was weakening by the second and if a human life would save her any amount of pain, Alice couldn't say that she'd give up Bella's existence to save theirs.

"You can't go," Bella's mumbled words shocked her. "I need to go myself."

"You can barely stand," Alice noted, tightening her hold as Bella's legs started to give out.

"You can barely control your thirst. It's too risky," Bella argued. Alice huffed.

"I've already fed, right?" Alice asked. Bella nodded in response. "So, it shouldn't be as strong just after?"

Bella hissed. Apparently she already knew where Alice was headed with this. "I'm not going to let you starve, Bella."

"We don't know who else is out there!"

"It's a risk I'll have to take," Alice said and then added more softly. "You'd do it for me."

Bella laughed.

"What?" Alice knitted her eyebrows together in confusion.

"Katyana said you'd be stubborn."

Alice smiled at her. The growing bond between them comforted her in a way she was sure she'd never experienced. The thought of that comfort disappearing struck her hard.

"Please, Bella," Alice looked up at her. The taller brunette sighed and kissed her forehead.

"There aren't any towns nearby," Bella told her. Alice opened her mouth to protest but Bella shushed her quickly.

"You have until sundown," Bella said. She nodded at the sunlight seeping through the canopy of trees. "It should be about three hours until then."

Alice nodded enthusiastically. "I'll be back before you know it."

"First, check the surrounding area," Bella said. "I'm not sure if they actually came alone. Check for foot prints if you can and unusual scents."

"Alright," Alice said. Bella stepped back and sank into the ground a few feet from Julio's fallen form. Alice jerked her head in his direction.

"What about him?"

"He's gone."

"Do we need to bury him, too?"

Bella shook her head. "You shattered his skull and his brain from the looks of it. It'll heal but not fast enough for him to come after us anytime soon. "

She tilted her head to the side to examine more of the damage. Julio's skull dripped venom and brain matter.

"You did very well, Alice," Bella admitted. "Although, it would have been better if you'd stayed put, I know you couldn't help but defend me when Julio charged."

Alice looked down. "I played right into his hands didn't I?"

Bella nodded but smiled despite the truth of the matter. "For your first fight, it wasn't half bad. You're a natural."

Alice crouched down in front of her and Bella reached up to cup her face in her hands. "Perimeter check then hunt."

Alice bolted away from her without a word. She focused as much as she could on the ground and the smells of the forest. Nothing came across her senses save for the lingering scents of Julio and Juan. She checked back in with Bella, announcing her findings proudly.

Bella smiled up at her doggedly. "Until sundown. Trust your instincts, they'll never lead you astray."

Alice embraced her once more and inhaled her scent as if trying to fill her lungs with the potent smell. Bella seemed to be doing something similar although with less gusto. Bella stroked the back of her neck and brought them nose-to-nose. It wasn't the first time they'd been nearly this close but this instance felt different than at the asylum. Alice experienced a shot of pleasure racing through her body that was too strong to ignore. Bella kept a firm grip on the back of Alice's neck despite her weakened state. Alice sighed contentedly. Her back arched in response to Bella's touch and Bella took the opportunity to nuzzle Alice's neck. Bella's lips slipped across Alice's pale skin moving from the nape of her neck up to her cheek.

"Until sundown, my love," she whispered in a throaty voice that belied a more true and reckless need.

Alice repeated the time of their reunion against Bella's ear.

In an instant she was released and was on her feet again. Purpose filled her steps and a sharp pull attacked her chest as she raced away from her mate. She let instinct roll over her longing and control the direction of her sprint. She sniffed the air desperately for the unmistakable scent of human life and tuned out the forest's natural chorus in order to distinguish any possible heartbeats.

She grew desperate when she sensed nothing. Her body carried her over springs and rough terrain. She circled and doubled back criss crossing the area in a dizzying dash of frantic searching. She came up empty handed and screamed her frustration into the trees. The forest seemed to swallow up her sound. As she ran she thought of Bella and her sudden weakness. While she hadn't physically fought the tiny vampire guessed that the source of her sudden depletion of energy came from the powerful force she'd exerted.

Alice remembered the wrecked bodies of the trees and decided that once she found her mate the blood she needed she'd find out just exactly what Bella had done. Alice pushed herself to go faster. The streams of light that had once littered the forest floor had grown smaller. Sundown approached and Alice couldn't return empty handed. She sniffed the air and again found nothing.

She changed directions heading north of a small stream. Even though her mate was in danger her body hummed in a new way. It were as if it knew the very earth she treaded like the back of her hand. It must have been what Bella meant.

Her body would guide her to their food source regardless of how she felt about it. It didn't matter to her body, which craved the blood with out remorse. She let the pull drag her across terrain she recognized from earlier and realized immediately that she was doubling back. Had there been something she missed?

Her throat constricted in response and Alice whooped with joy. The itch became stronger as did her pull for Bella. How could she miss something so close to her mate? She skidded to a halt a few feet away from her intended target. Every inch of her wanted to rush into the nearby clearing, take the human, and drain them dry. Her legs itched to complete her body's natural journey. She'd just fed a few hours prior, she didn't need the blood, Bella did. As long as she remembered that she'd be able to capture the human and bring it back to her mate. Alice growled in frustration, turned to the nearest tree, and slammed her fist into the bark. She could do this.

She sniffed the air to be sure that the human hadn't run. The aroma was fresh if not a little bit off. It still smelt amazing but not entirely the same as the people she'd drank from earlier. Alice looked upward; the sky still had light but had grown just a bit darker since she'd begun her search. Alice steeled herself. She _had_ to do this.

She turned in the direction of the thickly thudding human heart and sprinted into the darkening forest.

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><p>Alice didn't know how long the animal would last. She'd wounded it's legs and arms leaving it immobile but still conscious. She sped across the terrain, kicking up tufts of grass and rocks as she went. Her mission was nearly complete. She just hoped that the wolf's blood, which smelled so close to that of a human, would be able to help fuel her mate's body enough for them to move on and find more humans.<p>

The pull intensified when she neared the remnants of their previous battle. Coming upon the downed trees she scaled them and leapt down easily. She smiled when she landed. She could get used to this. And she was back in plenty of time. The sky had just begun to turn light shades of pink and orange.

She resumed her run only to stop when one of her feet slid into a hole. Startled she looked down at the freshly overturned soil and saw seven similarly sized holes surrounding them. A quick scan of the area reminded her that this was where she'd buried Julio. Alarmed she raced to where she'd left Bella.

Immediately she noticed the flames that reached for the sky and the crackle of burning wood. The scent of smoke clouded her mate's scent. Alice dropped the beast she'd carried the whole way and hissed at the sight of her mate standing at the edge of the flames with a leg in her hand. Julio's chest and reattached head sat a few inches away from her, his face etched in agony.

"No, please don't, Isabella…NO!"

Bella dipped the leg into the fire inch by inch until she could hold on no more for fear that the flames reach out and take her as well.

"Where is she, Julio? Where is Maria?" Bella shouted. Julio didn't answer.

"So now, you can't speak?" Bella's voice was colder than ice.

"Well, let's see how your brother embraces his true death," Bella taunted. Julio let out a strangled sob.

"We can't tell you anything, you know that—we're bound!"

"Then unbind yourself Julio or say goodbye to Juan once and for all."

Julio hissed and growled at the threat. Bella merely shrugged. She stalked over to where Juan twitched on the ground obviously trying to heal himself. She gathered his pieces and walked back to the dancing flames.

"Last chance to save your brother from a one way train ticket to hell," Bella said in a sing song voice. It would have been beautiful if the circumstances had been different. Her brown hair hung in her face as she smiled winningly at Julio's mangled form.

"She's still in Mexico, with Jasper and his mate," Julio spoke brokenly.

Bella clucked her tongue. "Why must you lie to me Julio?"

"You're one to talk about lies! What does your mate think of this? Hmm? Is she pleased that her reason for existence has committed such an egregious act of betrayal? Does she even know what you're capable of?"

"My mate!" Bella screamed in his face. "My mate is none of your concern. She knows enough."

"She doesn't know how well you lie. How easy you manipulate her. She's probably thinking that she's the luckiest girl on earth having you for a mate. How wrong she is."

Bella dropped Juan and punched Julio square in the jaw. His lips cracked and his bones shattered under the impact. Bella waited patiently while they healed.

"Ah—y-you've taken liberties with her life that she'd be horrified to discover," Julio said. "How will you atone for that?"

"How will you atone for your brother's true death?" Bella's smirk finished off Julio's resolve. He hissed and growled fervently. She scooped up Juan again.

"He can be put back together again. With blood and plenty of time your brother could be right as rain. Will you give him that chance, Julio? Or will you protect that evil thing you call a sire first and foremost?" Bella questioned. Julio turned his head away tears forming in his eyes. Bella growled.

"I guess venom is thicker than blood," Bella said with disgust at Julio's lack of concern for his brother's life.

"No," Julio muttered brokenly then louder. "No! She only sent us! She's planning her attack on the northern territories right now. You and your family are nothing but loose ends! Let us go, please!"

Bella inched forward and Julio screamed. Alice burst into the clearing growling at Bella. Bella shot her a surprised look and like her beautiful voice Alice would have laughed had the situation not been so serious. Here she thought that her mate needed assistance and that she was near helpless and nearly drained of all life. She'd thought that her Bella was in danger of not existing and clearly it had been untrue. Bella had deceived her. Bella had lied.

"Let her free, Isabella, see how fast she'll turn," Julio said spewing venom in the process.

The guilty party faced her with a sincere expression.

"Hi there honey."

Their bond constricted forcing her to come closer as if the proximity would quell the roiling anger at having been lied to. The calm she'd felt since meeting her shattered around them. Alice's chest burnt and twisted and her body shook under the weight of her ire. Bella stared at her unrepentantly and something inside the smaller vampire snapped. Bella nodded her head as if in acceptance. This only served to make Alice angrier. Who the hell did Bella think she was? Even as Bella tossed Juan's body aside and closed her eyes Alice could do nothing but seethe. The feeling was relentless and irrepressible.

Alice let out a roar she didn't know she was capable of and took Bella and Juan down into the waiting flames.

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><p>AN:Okay, so yeah, leave me some words and I'll see you next time. Like I said, it'll be a long road to paradise for these two. What do you all think Bella has been hiding? What about this manipulation of Alice? Let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N:First of all.. I'm really sorry for the wait! It's been a stressful weekend family-wise. I was really blown away by the amount of hits, reviews, and alerts the last chapter received!

A/N2: Hey! Sorry about that! New writer snafu! This is the real chapter.

Disclaimer: I. Own. Nothing.

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><p>Alice gasped at the abrupt sense of calm that surged through her entire being upon their landing on the other side. She'd ended up on Bella's chest with her scarred arms wrapped securely around her narrow waist.<p>

"Whoa, haven't done that in awhile," Bella said with a heavy sigh. She let her head fall back into the leaves. Alice growled in her face.

"What the hell was that?"

Bella looked away from her and intense anger and confusion consumed Alice once more. She shook under the weight of the sensation and it was as if she could scarcely move without some new emotional awareness rocking into her. Bella turned to look at her again and the instinctive reaction was quelled instantly. It was as if every fleeting emotion had been shoved down deep inside of her. Her frustration peaked and she actually felt worn out from the switch being turned on and off.

"My shield," Bella finally answered. "It's my ability. I can mentally and physically shield myself and others."

"What are you trying to protect me from?"

"Yourself," Bella answered. "In our first year of life as vampires we're stronger and faster than we'll ever be. We're also at our most uncontrollable. Everything is brighter, more intense, and confusing. I wanted to save you from that."

"By blocking out my emotions? You can do that?"

"To a point. My shield, when used mentally, can impose calm on the individual it's affecting. I call it a latent gift from my sire. I used it to calm myself in my first few months and to cull other newborns' rage but with you I wanted to let new revelations seep out slowly bit by bit. I never meant to deprive you of anything just slow it down."

"Why?" Alice asked, swallowing back her tears.

"I didn't want you to have to deal with it all at once. When I found you, you were already so bewildered as to how you'd come to be what you were, I couldn't stand the thought of you surrendering to instinct and exposing yourself to the humans. It's punishable by death to do so you know."

Alice leaned forward so that her face hovered over Bella's.

"You had no right," she whispered. Bella's eyes watered when she looked up at her.

"I thought, it would be better this way, you'd be able to realize your true potential without causing harm to yourself."

"Take it down," Alice ordered. Bella's eyes widened. "I'm going to leave now."

Bella sat up taking Alice with her. "If I do, you won't be able to rule your emotions, they'll rule you. There's no telling where you'll end up!"

"It's better than being held captive by you."

"Maria will send others," Bella said, pleading with her. Her hands had come up to cup Alice's cheeks. Alice wanted to scream her lack of concern in Bella's face but the shield prevented her from acting on the emotion at all.

Alice rose, shrugging away Bella's desperately grasping hands. "Whatever happens, happens."

"Screw that! Alice they'll come for me and they'll come for you, too! We have to stay together if we're to survive." Bella said. Her voice shook and Alice could tell that it was. "I can't protect you if you're gone!"

"I'm going. If you ever want to see me again, then you _will_ undo what you've done to me."

With that said, Alice shot off into the darkness. Her chest hurt fiercely but she ignored it. She hissed when she felt the full spectrum of her emotions reverberate through her being. At least, Bella cared enough to let her feel what was rightfully hers to experience.

Her legs carried her further than they would if she were human, filling her with exhilaration. It almost eclipsed the pain. Almost. The sun had just begun to rise as she came to a grinding halt at the edge of a cliff hanging over a huge valley. She didn't know where she was but the lush evergreen scenery made her wonder if she'd somehow stumbled upon Eden. That several bible verses erupted forth into her consciousness gave her hope that if she knew them then her past couldn't be all that murky. Still, not having any idea as to her location she began to ponder.

She tried picking out clues amongst the treetops and red rocks. The vastness of it all took her away for a while. She spent the whole day memorizing the formation of the rocks and the terrain, which boasted both arid ground and green foliage. The combination was an incredible sight.

That dead land and lush vegetation could exist side-by-side, one not creeping over into the others space, in a silent harmony soothed her. Night fell but the beauty before her offered no change through the darkness and into the early light of the next day. She'd stood atop of the cliff perfectly still for over twenty-four hours and had not missed a single piece of movement below her. Every tumble of each desert rat and slither of the rattlesnakes rested in her mind in sharp detail.

She closed her eyes, listened to the wildlife around her, and winced at the incisive assault of noises. Her lack of vision intensified her hearing to the point that even the wind's warm whisper rang in her ears. Her hands flew up on either side of her head, blocking out the noises. With her hearing muffled she tried to focus on one thing then another, but they each ran together in cahoots to drive her insane. The peace was gone and her anger remained singing for justice.

Alice flew into the valley with a decisive leap. Her landing was hard enough to cause the nearest desert tortoise to pull itself into its shell. Nature stopped to notice her presence and played dead while doing so. Not one sound assaulted her once she'd entered the valley; all having to appear to have never exist at all. Her chest responded to her amazement with a twinge of pain and her feet moved to prevent any further thought of the matter.

It ached more. Her hand immediately flew up to where her undead heart rested silently and the glint of something incredibly shiny caught her eye. For the first time in this life, her skin felt warm, like a human's. She investigated her hand and arm, which looked like they were encased in crystals and diamonds galore. Light exploded from each exposed surface of her body and she was warm, so warm. She smiled and spun about. She glowed and desired to see more.

Slowly she entered the valley and relished the hearth of fire at her feet. When her toes touched down on the grass she curled them around the small blades and enjoyed their elasticity. The world had just become more wonderful and with each step she found herself enveloped in its beauty.

She sniffed the thick, clean air and tried to one by one distinguish the scents of things around her to no avail. Once again everything became so overwhelming that she had to stop and attempt to cut off her senses. Confusion built and she wanted to ask someone why everything was so heightened. Why was it so difficult for her to figure out the difference between the scent of a tree and a rock or the difference between the sounds of the wind and the sounds of the animals?

Bella's face flashed in her mind and she both yearned for her and growled at what she had done. Someone had once thought it best to place her in an asylum. It had to have been true or she wouldn't have been there. Did they know she was sane or did they only base their opinion on their convoluted evidence? Alice didn't know and couldn't know. In reality she might have really been certifiably insane. However if she were, why didn't she feel it now? Someone ought to know that they're nuts right?

The questions plagued her and the obvious solution ebbed at the corners of her mind. Eventually she learned to ignore it. Her feet led her to a small spring that, not unlike herself, seemed like it had no business twinkling in the light in the dry heat. Curious, Alice lifted a foot and dipped the very tips of her toes in. The water tickled her skin and was as warm as the sun. The rest of her was quick to follow the descent into the shallow water. The fish that had originally occupied the area dove and disappeared beneath rocks. Alice barely noticed.

In the water, the jumpsuit she wore became heavy and oppressive. She clawed at it vehemently and reduced the thin fabric to slender slips of threads floating away from her in the water. The water slid against her hard skin washing away the dirt and grime of her new existence.

Alice shook her head. If it were only possible to make the cleansing more internal. She folded her calves under her thighs and sank to the bottom of what she discovered to be a cavern that had to be thousands of years old. It was there that she came to realize the uselessness of breathing and serenity of life untouched. The rocks that had been there for centuries were her companions in silence.

Her chest pulsed rapidly—insistently. In rebellion she closed her eyes and surrendered. There was no escape.

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><p>It had been weeks—maybe longer since her excursion through the caverns. She'd followed the labyrinth of aged rock formations until she found light streaming a few miles ahead of her. There was no hurry in her movements to re-enter the light. Darkness had become her ultimate ally. In the dark she didn't exist as the Alice she had been or should be—she just was—and for that she was thankful. She'd run and climbed her way through the dirt and grime and found herself proud. She'd chosen this path, it had not been chosen for her.<p>

Each patch of brownish red grit resting on her skin had been a decision she'd made on instinct alone. It was the only way she operated now. She didn't think she just acted. Her limbs carried her where they willed and standing at the edge of the light streaming down through the punctured ceiling.

The sounds of hooves pounded rhythmically above her, journeying she supposed like herself. Alice found herself alight with jealousy. At least they had the benefit of knowing where they were going.

She could have that, too. The fact wasn't lost on her but as immediately as it was presented she dismissed it. Knowing was what got her here. She felt convinced with each undecided second that not knowing was better in every single way.

The sunlight reached for her dirty toes causing her to recoil. Having not seen the light for so long she'd forgotten the benefit of feeling it. Was it worth it to risk being seen or worse sensed by Bella? Alice still both wanted and despised the woman for her tricks. She couldn't be trusted and for the most part Alice felt it to be true with the exception of the nagging pull of her chest and her thoughts.

Every once in a while Alice would wonder where Bella was and what she was doing. She worried something might have happened to her and would be filled instantly with the need for going topside to find her. On more than one occasion she caught herself attempting to claw her way through the ceiling. Thankfully, she'd been able to reign herself in by remembering the invisible prison her mate had endeavored to keep her in. It brought back the crushing fury with an astounding quickness and once again Alice was home.

Her instincts, although trustworthy, obviously connected to Bella in a way that was unbreakable. She assumed it also had something to do with the reason why her body constantly craved her presence. It thrummed with a need she couldn't exactly shut off or relieve by herself. No matter how hard she ran or how far she'd managed to get, Bella was like an anchor and because of this it appeared she'd always be close in one way or another.

Her ache would be the same as Alice's and probably just as relentless.

Alice sighed. What could it really hurt? One peek above ground and then back in the hole. Alice continued towards the sunlight and was once again dazzled by the sparkle of her own skin. She tore at the small holes and used the tough terrain for leverage in her ascent. Her hand broke through the softer soil and slowly she emerged in the middle of a field.

It appeared to be a farm, with a house and a barn, a corral for the animals, and little cows out to pasture. She sniffed and caught nothing other than the beasts chewing indelicately on cud. Their eyes rolled lazily in her direction then back to their food as if she were no more important than their next patch of grass. Alice took solace in the heat and the distinct rhythm of the life around her. The silence was a comfort but the beats of the hearts around her filled her with a sort of vigor she hadn't been aware of missing.

Somewhere nearby a door opened and slammed shut. Alice dropped into the tall grass and surveyed the fields. Nothing. The barn held nothing of true interest besides the faint smell of dried blood. Her red gaze swung to the house and her mouth filled with venom, which in turn caused her throat to burn. Small delicate feet touched the wooden porch and gleeful tinkling laughter filled Alice's ears. Alice tried to stable herself and pull back from the instincts she'd so intently relied on for so long. Blood pumped through fragile veins and through a strong heart. Alice was enticed but not yet overcome.

She thought of anything else and even began to move back towards her hole. She could avoid being a monster. Truly, until that very moment she hadn't needed to drink or noticed a hint of thirst. Now, it was a forgone conclusion. She needed, wanted, and craved the end of the tiny stable heart beat a half a mile away.

Needed. Wanted. Couldn't and shouldn't have. Alice hissed and raced back to her hole. There was still time. Her body jerked at the tearing of skin she heard behind her. The small droplet wasn't enough to cause the small girl to cry out or recognize her folly. To her it was a scratch that her parents would discover and kiss away later. To Alice it was the blaring ring of a dinner bell.

Alice spun around zipped along the rows of cows ignoring the tempting smell of their essence. They would be a nice substitute if the girl weren't so near. If her unintentional wound didn't beckon to her.

Instinct, her friend, her common ally with darkness, shut her out. Alice wasn't Alice, she was thirsty and dared anyone to deny her the meal that awaited mere steps away.

Alice was close. The girl stood with her back to her. She would leap first, grab her throat, and then snap it next. She would kill. She would drink. She would fill this one need and bathe in the thrum of adrenaline.

She hit the steps and scooped up the girl. She was off like a shot, away from the house, the short yelp of the child a mere wrinkle in her plans. Her parents would be too late by the time they found her. In her arms the girl shook with sobs of fear and cried tears of anguish. Alice had broken her arm in her approach.

"Shhh, child," Alice was struck by how calm her voice sounded. "Close your eyes."

The girl cried harder and Alice, annoyed at being disobeyed, touched firmly upon her throat until she heard a tiny crack.

"Shhhh."

Her lips came down with teeth bared and ready.

She could feel her before the shouted warning came. Alice gripped the girl tighter and as she ducked her head her razor sharp teeth grazed across the pulsing vein in the child's neck. She only got so far. A hand in her hair took away her chance at nirvana. The same hand aided in sending her flying into a tree more than fifty feet away. Alice felt her body crack in several places and growled.

Across from her, Bella stood with her fists clenched and her body crouched before the girl. She took one glance over her shoulder at the shuddering mass of human flesh and blood.

"Run."

The single word sent the girl off and away from them. She wouldn't get away so quickly. Alice darted after her only to be hit by what felt like a freight train and was thrown into the dirt creating an Alice sized crater. She tumbled onto her side and clutched her shattered hip. She looked up into the blazing red eyes of her mate and snarled.

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><p>AN:This will be the last cliff hanger for a while, I promise! Let me know how you liked it! Do you think Bella was right in trying to protect Alice with her shield? Should Alice forgive her and let her help her through her newborn stage?


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I'm so sorry for the long wait! I had a family emergency last week and I'm just now kind of recovering from all of the crazy. I hope you guys aren't too mad at me although after reading this chapter maybe you will. Warning: Violence is a significant part of this chapter but it isn't without reason. I really appreciate the response I've been getting from everyone be it through PM's, Alerts, reviews, and the amount of hits and visitors to the story. It warms my heart to know that people are reading my work for better or for worse. I hope you guys stick around for more.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my versions of Bella and Alice which are being revealed more and more with each chapter.

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><p>The fight wore on for hours. Alice snapped. Bella growled. They had a pattern now that neither was willing to give up. The fight was unevenly matched and Alice was overall being constantly bested by Bella's superior skills. The young vampire couldn't find it in herself to care. Bella had crossed one too many lines in releasing her kill.<p>

The memory of the tiny girl sprinting away in terror was enough to fill Alice's lungs with a shriek of fury. She was hers! The blood that ran through her little veins should have been working its way through her system. Her anger coiled within her stomach and guided her vengeful kicks and punches.

What Alice lacked in finesse she had in strength and speed. Bella growled in her ear, having captured her arms in a bone-crushing embrace, and held on to her for dear life.

"You should have known better than to come after me," Alice barked.

She clawed and thrashed more intensely at the feeling of Bella's chest vibrating and the soothing effect that threatened to take over. Without any other available exit Alice slumped forward in defeat then snapped back and slammed her head into Bella's surprised face. The crack was like thunder and the sharp squeal of metal chased Bella's enraged scream.

"Does it bother you that I don't? That I can't?" Bella's voice was more hiss than sweet bells as her face tried to realign itself.

Alice was instantly freed and took off. Bella remained hot on her heels holding the side of her face with one hand and using the other to grip onto tree bark and use it as leverage to climb and swing. Alice wouldn't be stopping now, not unless Bella could keep up with her. She changed directions over and over. Each time she'd head east, Bella would find a way to closer her off. She could both sense and feel her approaches now and it always set her nerves on edge.

Running became the norm and she was accustomed to hearing nothing but the wind in her ears and tracking everything else by the instant pull in her chest and her powerful vision. She could see for miles and feel Bella whenever she was near. The comfort and aggressive malcontent that this effect produced was worse than the initial fight itself. It left her feeling drained although she'd long come to understand that she didn't need sleep. She never got tired until now. Running began to feel useless. Bella would always catch up.

The day began to wear into night as it had so many times to Alice's knowledge. As she broke through the tree line and catapulted herself into the nearest field she stopped to listen for Bella. The ground gave away no answers and the trees spoke nothing of her arrival. Bella's footsteps were nowhere and Alice breathed a pained sigh of relief and disappointment. The latter was no longer shocking but felt unnatural to her. She hated Bella. She wanted her gone. Disappointment shouldn't come after one wins a race only at a deep loss.

Alice shifted and turned about in the empty field. The grass crunched beneath her feet. Alice was alone again and it should have been wonderful. She spun towards the way she'd entered and listened once more inching onward in that direction. Nothing.

Behind her was a different story. Bella burst through the opposite direction, charging her. Alice barely had time to pull herself together and run back the way she'd come. Bella hedged and forced her north. The hate was back, the longing was gone, and the disappointment nonexistent. Alice raced again until she could no longer feel Bella on her. The sky turned red and orange, basking the forest in a warm glow. Alice slowed again then hissed at the familiar scent up ahead and the tug in her chest. How the hell did she do that?

No more than two miles away, Bella's scent was firm and undiluted. Alice could sense her stillness and followed the pull as if she were a train on track to her one and only destination.

The clearing was smaller this time with a mountain eclipsing them and there was no fire. Only Bella standing there with her arms at her sides and eyes closed. Alice immediately thought it to be a ruse. She studied her mate's form and scoffed at the beauty that emanated from her and hissed as the pull returned her to longing for the woman. She inched closer, step by step, inducing panic and relief.

"Do what you want," Bella's voice was calm, commanding, soothing. It sent Alice's nerves into a frenzy. Who was _she_ to command _her_?

"Go with what you feel."

"What I feel?" Alice repeated mockingly. "What I feel is not something you want to experience."

"I want all of you Alice. I should have realized that and left things as they were when I found you but I didn't. I apologize."

Alice was taken aback. It was what she had wanted wasn't it? Her mate was sorry for harming her. She was sorry for betraying her and trying to control her. She was here and the words were flowing from her lips so easily and laced with remorse. Alice wanted to feel relieved but she couldn't her coiled anger rose and sprung. Without another word or warning she reached out and struck Bella clear across her face.

"I hate you."

"Go with that then."

Alice's lips curled back and an indignant snarl rolled forth.

"Go on," Bella's voice belied no fear. Alice whipped her arm back and buried her fist in Bella's chest sending her back into the rocky mountainside. Alice roared. Bella only smiled. Alice attacked again knocking into her and viciously tearing at her face. Her fists found Bella's abdomen and her teeth found her right shoulder.

Bella never screamed or whimpered in pain. She only smiled and encouraged her further. Alice took this to mean that her shield was up. She couldn't feel anything physical and her gesture was only for show. It was just another ploy to pull Alice in and keep her where she wanted. Not again, never again. Alice's vision became hazy as a vision overtook her. At least it appeared to be.

_The asylum was back in her mind and she was strapped to a bed. Her face was dripping sweat and her chest heaved. Her arms struggled against restraints as a warm hand pressed against her forehead. _

"_Just an orphan now," the voice was thick with malice. "Poor pitiful little Alice." _

_Blonde hair and a dark smile accompanied a male voice shaking with an almost religious fervor. "Such sweet blood." _

_Alice's head lolled towards the door where a tall balding man in a lab coat and glasses smiled encouragingly. "Is she not everything I told you she would be?" _

"_More," the blonde man spoke through his entrancement. "So, so much more. How does it feel Mortimer?" _

"_What James?" _

"_She's yours to care for and you're helping to murder her." _

_Mortimer shook his head. "She has no place with me and with her out of the picture completely her inheritance and parents estate is all mine with no legal concern. No one to fight me on my way to the top. Who would keep a mad woman over all that? No, no, it's better this way." _

"_Better for you," James said stroking Alice's cheek, mopping up free flowing tears. _

"_Better for the girl, too. She would have never come back from her mental deficiency." _

"_So you say." _

"_So, I know." _

_James leaned down and brushed Alice's ear with his lips. _

"_Not too much longer." _

_Alice shuddered and Mortimer panicked. _

"_You said you'd take her out of here and do—that." _

_James was gone in a flash, had gripped Mortimer by the throat, and dragged him back to the bed before Alice could blink. _

"_I said I'd kill her," James answered. "I never said where or how." _

_Mortimer was thrown across the room onto another bed and James was on him, wrapping the metal posts around his wrists to ensure that he stayed put. James yanked on the frame and forced him to face Alice's bed. _

"_It takes a cold man to do what you've done. Being of the same nature, I assumed you'd like a front row seat to your deed."_

_Alice screamed when he approached her and thrashed against her restraints. _

"_Shhh," James whispered and unbuckled her carefully. "Go on, I like it when they struggle." _

The darkness that followed was new and terrifying. Her vision refocused and Bella lay on the ground smiling softly up at her wrapped up in her deceptive shield.

"Go on, Alice."

Fury, confusion, and fear bore down on her and she snapped completely. Reality held no bearing on her and her last memories and Bella's deception flooded her mind.

The first few moments of unchecked rage were a blur of screams of anguish and torn metal. After, the sight before her made her chest pulse in pain. Bella laid on her side facing the mountain, missing both arms and covered in dirt. Her back was lined with scratches that leaked venom along with dozens of fresh bite marks.

Alice moaned miserably and sunk to the ground digging her venom-covered fingers into the earth. Bella hissed and sobbed. Alice rocked back on her feet and backed away.

"Please don't go."

Three words unfettered by any sort of force or demand gave her pause and sent her into shock.

"Why?"

"I don't want to be alone."

"Is this another trick?"

Bella's shoulders sagged further than Alice thought possible.

"If you want, when the sun rises again, you can leave and I won't follow."

"Can you… do that?"

"It won't be easy. If it's what you truly want then I will."

"Bella—"

"It's okay Alice," she said through gritted teeth.

"No," Alice murmured. She kneeled next to her and reached out to touch a deep gash. "It's not okay."

"I've had worse."

Alice growled and Bella chuckled weakly. "Such a contradiction."

Alice slid down to lay beside her. "What do I do to make it better?"

"Your venom," Bella answered. "It can heal me. Follow your instincts."

Alice shook her head and swallowed back a sob as she took in all that her instincts had done.

"You're crazy to trust in that."

"I'm crazy regardless," Bella said. "Now are you going to let me leak venom all over the place or are you going to heal me?"

Alice hissed at the tone but felt no animosity building. She leaned down and took a good look at a deep wound at Bella's shoulder. The skin was a discolored yellow and venom still leaked profusely. Alice immediately ducked her head and attached her lips to the wound. Her tongue darted out and lapped at the venom then drifted over the gash. Almost instantly Bella's skin reacted and drew itself back together closing up the wound with a small metallic lurch. Bella hissed next to her causing her arms to stretch out and encircle Bella's waist.

"I'm sorry!" Alice was quick to apologize this time.

Bella shook her head against the grass. "The healing process is just as if not more painful than the attack itself sometimes. It's better than the pain of an open wound though. There, the pain is endless."

"How can you feel anything right now? Your shield is up."

"It hasn't been up since I stopped just before the sunset. I needed to feel your anger."

"No—how—but I thought."

"I'm fine, I'm still here."

"I hurt you in the worst way."

"I let you."

"It doesn't make it any better!" Alice ground out, remembering Bella standing in the clearing so accepting of whatever was about to come to pass. She knew what would happen and she still took it head on.

"It does because you see now what you're strength is like unchecked, unbalanced, uncontrolled. Do you want to learn how to control yourself, Alice? No tricks. I just want to help you."

"You want to help me after what I've done?"

"I'm your mate, Alice. Whether you come to love me or not I already feel for you everything I should. I just want you to be happy and it seems that control over yourself is what you want the most."

Alice swallowed thickly and traced the now healed spot on Bella's neck. Bella shook against her. "What if I want more than that?"

"Then we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

"Okay."

Alice continued healing Bella's back, wincing at the short hisses and whimpers that emerged. She would make this up to her. Alice was sure of that as she quickly broke away to gather then reattach Bella's arms. They'd fix this thing between them together.

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><p>Let me know what you think, good, bad, or ugly. Hopefully not ugly but whatever you guys think I'm open to hearing it.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I hope everyone has a great weekend! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything other than my characterizations!

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><p>Alice laid with Bella until sun rise. Through the night she found herself memorizing the lines and scars scattered across the older vampire's porcelain neck. Her fingers traced each jagged section while a growl steadily built in her chest. She held it there and tried to still her trembling body. She was caught between wanting to rip apart any living being that dared touch her and hating herself for having to be counted in that obviously large number.<p>

Sunlight filtered in through the trees and caught on their skin. The sleeves of Bella's shirt had been completely removed in the night to allow her arms proper room to heal. Alice winced as she remembered the slow squeal Bella's bones made when they reconnected and the sickening squelch of her muscles redesigning themselves to become intact once more. It had been amazing in the worst way. Most of all Alice recalled the predominately silent way Bella took the pain. There was a hiss when it started but nothing else substantially audible for Alice to gauge.

The only means by which Alice knew that the healing process hurt was the stiffness in Bella's back and the fact that her eyes were closed iron tight. Of course, then there was also the pulsating beacon in Alice's chest that seemed to like to twist at an agonizingly slow rate if only to accentuate the burn that followed. She felt it each time her tongue darted out to seal a wound and it grew worse as the healing process went on.

Only when Bella relaxed in her arms did Alice know that the worst was over. Bella was more than on the mend.

The newborn vampire watched the sun shine down directly into Bella's face and set her ash skin alight. Alice could see each individual piece of reflective matter across Bella's jaw.

She admired how delicate it seemed then recalled how hard she'd hit her there, more than once in the previous evening. The growl that she'd been holding in rolled up and through her chest and throat then out of her lips before she could stop herself. Bella tensed and the fringes of Alice's anger were instantly hedged then back at full force.

"Sorry," Bella murmured into the dirt. Alice hissed.

"An old reflex I'd like to put out to pasture," Bella explained. "My shield is so much apart of me that I don't even need to think before using it."

"It's not like it wasn't warranted," Alice scoffed.

"Not this again," Bella grumbled. "I didn't allow you take me apart just to have you beat yourself up."

"You said it wasn't planned," Alice reminded her. Somehow it didn't matter whether she'd been tricked or not now that Bella was nestled against her. She couldn't imagine being anywhere else no matter how mad she got.

"It was a possibility," Bella countered. "More like a probability if I wanted to keep you safe."

"I'm not following," Alice said, confused. She frowned then suddenly became entranced with the fading smell of soap in Bella's hair. She snuggled in to the mass of brown locks and inhaled the scent and Bella's natural cinnamon aroma. Her former agitation quelled immediately and her body relaxed into the slender form before her.

"How is your throat?"

"It has been itching fiercely since last night. Yours?"

"Burning since the healing process—don't you dare hiss Alice," Bella said in hurried huff. Alice blew out a frustrated breath.

"We'll need to hunt as soon as the sun sets," Bella said. Alice nodded into her hair then sat up suddenly, bringing Bella with her. They sat now with Alice's legs outstretched with Bella between them, her much longer legs perpendicular and stretching over Alice's.

"What if we could satisfy the need right now," Alice wondered.

Bella gestured wordlessly at the empty space. "Hunt what? Bark? We need to find a town and wait until night fall."

"The night at the clearing when you were interrogating Julio and Juan I couldn't find any humans."

Bella snorted. "Well, that's no surprise. We were in the middle of no where."

Alice's eyes narrowed at the memory of her betrayal.

"I wouldn't have risked you being so close to any sort of town. After the massacre that happened earlier I knew you didn't want to harm any more humans."

Alice squared her shoulders and looked Bella in the eyes. "Never again."

"Hurting humans or the lies?"

"Both."

"Deal."

"Promise?"

Bella smiled at her. "Promises are no better than lies you know. A promise is like the air we're breathing in and the wind at our backs. Invisible lies with a much sweeter sounding name."

"Not between us," Alice shook her head resolutely. "Are we talking about the same thing here, Bella? A completely clean slate."

"A slate is only really clean when it's brand new."

"Bella…"

"Okay, okay, you can have your promises. Just so you know though, I don't deal in them."

"What do you _deal_ in then?"

"Agreements. Reputation. Those are more like binding contracts than anything else. If I agree to say, never hurt you again in anyway and you agree to accept my proposal then it's mutually binding. If I fail and cause you the tiniest bit of harm, my reputation is damaged in your eyes. I can't have that. "

"You're worried about what I think of you." Alice said. She sucked in her lower lip and prodded it with her teeth slowly. Bella glanced up at the sky then back to her mate and nodded with a smile. She turned around and placed her legs on either side of Alice's then rested her elbows on them.

"If the whole world thought me a callous bitch and you still loved me nothing else would matter. Nothing else does matter. For me anyway."

The unspoken question settled in between them and before Alice knew it the sun had risen high in the sky before they spoke again.

"If your shield isn't on me, how am I so calm?"

Bella gestured widely. "There's nothing to upset you."

Alice's eyes rested on the many scars her mate wore on her arms and neck. "Oh, I'm sure I could find something."

Bella chuckled. Her laughter was like a balm. Once again Alice's newborn rage was in check.

"Food," Bella demanded as she stood up effortlessly.

"I can't hunt humans again," Alice ground out in irritation.

"Trust me, the humans we're going to find won't tug at your undead heart strings," Bella said. She held her hand out to Alice who stared at it for a moment. Her hand bore many sealed cracks around her fingers. Alice was caught between shuddering and growling at the possible reasons for such marks.

"Trust me, Alice, you won't regret it," Bella said. She waggled her once removed fingers and Alice swung her arm up and grasped Bella's forearm. In a second she was on her feet with Bella's eyes appraising her form with abandon.

"We'll have to get you some clothes."

"If we're going to hunt at night, what does it matter?" Alice questioned. Bella pulled her close until Alice's bare chest was flush with her clothed one.

A rush of heat sped through Alice leading right to her core. Her body trembled as Bella's vibrated slightly. It took her a second to realize that Bella was purring and instead of being shocked by the notion she lost herself in a second of heady pleasure and moaned softly.

"It matters because I'd kill more of your warm and fuzzy humans if I caught them even peeking at you."

Alice tried to huff but it came out more like a sigh. "That's hardly a reason to kill anyone."

"My beautiful mate," Bella purred. "You don't give yourself enough credit."

"You give me too much. Monsters are never beautiful."

With a pout Bella let her go.

"Someday, I'll show you just how beautiful you are."

"Promises, promises," Alice said cheekily then questioned. "Where to?"

"North, if anything, Alice, anything—if we get separated at any point always continue north no matter what."

"What's up there?"

"For now, we'll just call it a binding agreement," Bella said. Alice's eyebrows furrowed.

"You'll find out later, after we've eaten."

"Oh, all right," Alice conceded, trying not to get swept up in the vast unknown that was the newfound trust between them. Meager as it was she didn't want to see it diminished as quickly as it had been formed.

* * *

><p>It was already night when they reached the nearest town some hundred and fifty miles away. Their footfalls slowed at the first sign of lights in the few houses scattered down the two-mile stretch to the larger populated area. Alice stood slightly behind Bella as they observed over the mountainside they were currently tucked into.<p>

"Let me guess, we're going directly to town?" Alice quirked an eyebrow.

Bella shook her head. "Not exactly."

She shifted, her feet grinding against the pebbles they'd created upon their initial landing, and nodded her head to the west. Alice glanced in that direction scanning the darkness for something interesting.

"Just beyond the town, can you see the large building that looks almost like a church?"

"Yes, I see it but—"

"A few feet away from that, what do you see there?"

"A large building with bars on the windows and a fence around it. Men patrolling the grounds. Bella, are we breaking into a prison?"

"Mmhmm. I figured, with you being concerned about the innocence of the people we eat we might try something a little bit more certain. We take only the most dangerous."

"How will we know which ones are which? Innocent men are sent to prison every day."

"Are you sure you don't remember anything about your human life?" Bella asked suddenly.

Alice sucked in a breath and collapsed back against the mountain's tough exterior. She chewed her lower lip and shook her head no. "I've tried to remember but nothing comes to light."

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "You'll be able to sense them but not gauge them. They're usually the ones with the most negative energy. It'll set your nerves on edge at first and then your instincts will kick in and you'll take him down."

"What if I lose it like I did with that family?" Alice asked. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at her mate. "What do I do then?"

Bella smiled down at her. "Try counting down to one from twenty. I've seen it work before in another newborn with a similar past to your own. Counting calmed him so he could hear properly and no go into any sort of rage."

"How did he have a past like mine? Was he a mental patient, too?"

"No, but he was quite mental when he woke up. He was suffering from a particularly devastating illness when we found him. He was in and out of consciousness before he was changed and didn't remember his life before at all. He was angry all the time mostly because of his gift."

"Did he have a shield, as well?"

"He could read minds and it was incredibly overwhelming for him. If his mate hadn't been there to help him, I'm sure he would have been scrapped. My former mistress didn't accept weakness as an option for any vampire that walked with her. If you were weak, you were a liability, and it didn't matter if you were gifted or not."

"I'm sorry," Alice said softly.

"For what?"

"Whatever it was she put you through," Alice said. She reached out, took Bella's hand, and ran her thumb over the scars at the base of her fingers. "I wish I had been there."

"Don't ever wish that," Bella said firmly. "Thank you."

She pulled Alice up from her place.

"So, how do we get down?"

"By killing two birds with one stone. We're jumping."

"What?" Alice shouted.

"Trust me," Bella said for the second time that day. Alice nodded and leapt the same time that Bella did, her grip on her hand tightening as they free fell. The air whipped around them as they neared the ground creating a roar in Alice's ears. She hissed as they landed heavily, creating a small crater in the earth.

Miles away, people were outside shouting. The remnants of nature's roar, the voices, and the sounds of insects moving around them created a loud buzz in her ears. Bella was before her and her lips were moving but Alice couldn't hear her.

"I-I can't hear!" Alice screamed.

Bella wrapped her arms around her and began stroking her hair. Tranquility flooded her senses and the buzzing dimmed.

"Shhh," Bella whispered just below her ear. "Concentrate on me."

She continued her motions until Alice's hearing returned to complete normalcy.

"You did it!"

"I guess," Alice sighed. Dogs were barking a few miles away and the scent of humans flooded her nostrils. She stiffened in Bella's arms, which only wound tighter around her.

"No, you don't want to hurt them. Remember that, replay it over and over if you have to."

Alice mentally repeated it and relaxed. Her hand flew up to her throat and Bella nodded.

"We'll go now, the whole town should be out here looking for the source of the noise."

They took off with Bella leading them west. Eventually, they took to the trees and flew through the landscape. In minutes they arrived a mile out from the prison. The majority of the lights were out and there were few guards around.

"It's time for your next lesson," Bella said. She then turned to her still crouched low in the grass. "We as a species are more beautiful than humans, so beautiful in fact that we can use it to our advantage. It's called glamour."

"So we just stand there looking pretty?"

"Sort of but not quite. Our appearance is so alluring that it naturally makes humans pause whatever they were feeling before and desire us. The initial attraction is a gateway. To solidify our magnetism we have to look them in the eyes. Once they are entranced they'll do whatever we ask until we leave and the spell so to speak is broken."

"If we're going to sneak in, why do we need to interact with any more humans than we have to?"

"Because, we're going in through the front door."

Alice's eyebrows nearly shot into her hairline.

"I beg your pardon? We cannot just stroll up and ring the bell!"

"Baby, we're vampires. We can do whatever we want within reason."

"We'll get caught!"

"Minimal security means a less detailed assessment of the surface. Those guards won't be able to see us as we run to the door. It's the best way aside from tearing down a wall."

Alice sighed. There really was no better way, at least not any that she could see. She nodded.

"You can do this. I know you can."

The statement filled Alice with confidence that she could indeed do what she was being asked and that Bella wouldn't lead her into danger. She wouldn't ruin her credibility ever again.

"Let's go."

They took off towards the closed gate. A few yards away from it Bella glanced back at her.

"Jump!"

Her muscles contoured to her needs as soon as she decided to follow the command. She rolled onto the balls of her feet and sprung upwards and over the gate's razor sharp points and landed softly on the other side and kept going right on Bella's tail.

They reached the door and their first guard. He was skinny, jittery, and stunk. Alice couldn't imagine what would compel him to be a guard in the first place. Alice glanced back at the open front yard which boasted no activity other than the guards patrolling completely unaware of their presence. It made her feel as if it could possibly work.

When she turned back around the guard was undressed down to his underwear and undershirt and handing his black and grey guard's uniform to her. Bella grinned like the cat that ate the canary and Alice rolled her eyes in response. So, it would work and now she had to wear some smelly man's clothes. Alice wrinkled her nose, pulled the shirt from the pants, and passed it off to Bella. She slid the black pants on and was surprised to find that they actually fit. The smell was something in it's own class it seemed. Bella chuckled as she handed her the grey button down shirt. The arms were too long and she quickly rolled them up to her elbows.

"Perfect."

"They stink."

"Well, consider it a temporary stink."

"Ugh, let's just go."

The guard opened the door for them.

"After you, darlin'."

Alice stepped inside the prison and was immediately confronted by a burly man with graying hair and bushy facial hair sitting behind a tiny desk with a big book laid upon its surface. He glared at her and she kept her eyes downcast to allow the first connection to be made.

"Visiting hours are over, miss. You'll have to come back tomorrow at noon," he said. Alice's gaze rested on the slight vibrations his throat made when he spoke.

She could hear his heart beating wildly and thickly in his chest and her mouth filled with venom. Her throat ached terribly. She could drain him right now and fill both her needs and Bella's.

With the way he was looking at her right now she could ask him to let her drink and he would with no questions asked. An irritating feeling at the back of her mind told her that there was something she was supposed to do at this point. Something important to keep her going. Her memory faltered, as she smelled the richness of his blood through his skin.

She leaned forward and looked up into his blue eyes. "I think I'd like to stay. Would you like to know why?"

With wide eyes he nodded and leaned forward on his desk.

Alice hissed at the proximity. He was so close and so was his delicious blood. She leaned so she could whisper into his ear.

"I'm going to eat you, sir, drain you dry. Do you have any last words?"

He shook his head and Alice smiled. Her lips angled towards his neck with her teeth bared.

"Good."

* * *

><p>AN: I really hope you guys liked this chapter. I think it's one of my favorites as of yet. Review and let me know how you feel! I've got the next chapter started and with a little inspiration I might get it done by the end of the day.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Whew! I'm sorry this is SO late! I hit a wall during the middle of writing the original chapter seven and wound up scrapping it. I wanted to go into the deep gory details of all that happened in the prison but it went on for too long and I felt like it didn't do much more for the story so I scrapped it. This one is much more central to Bella and Alice's relationship and Alice's growth as a vampire and Bella's mate. If you have any questions about what happened in the jail just ask and I'll be happy to PM you and clear up any confusion or do a mass A/N next chapter if there's a substantial amount of people with questions.

With that said, I'm a little put out to see that the reviews have dwindled as of late. When I first started this story I decided that I wouldn't be one of those authors who holds chapters hostage if they don't get x amount of reviews. I think it's silly and defeats the main purpose of writing which is to tell a story no matter who or how many people read it. So you guys will never see that at the end of my chapters, ever. However, reviews do brighten my day and inspire me to write faster. If I have reviews I'm more inclined to choose this story to work on rather than my original work or screenplays. I won't stop writing until this story is done, though. I write for myself and myself only. The reviews just help me get things done faster because I feel like someone else out there is excited to see what happens next. Okay, rant over and done with...onward!

I appreciate everyone who reviewed and alerted last chapter. It gave me the boost I needed to pull through this difficult chapter.

* * *

><p>The faucet creaked as Bella turned it to the right filling the chipped ivory tub with warm water. The rush of the liquid itself was enough to calm Alice's shuddering form. She stopped hissing and growling long enough to take a peek as the water rose.<p>

She watched Bella blur over to the adjacent tub and repeat her actions all the while admiring the commitment her mate made to silence. Steps were not heard, breaths held, and incoherent babbling kept to a minimum. Alice wished she could say the same about herself.

Upon approaching the house they'd broken into—chalking it up to two crimes in a single night—Alice was still a thrashing mass of snarls being dragged through the high grass. Bella calm, reserved, and completely compliant to Alice's panic made all of the moves to get them safely inside after having checked over the place and deciding to keep the lights off to prevent any suspicions from arising.

She was smart and collected whereas Alice was a complete and utter mess. The newborn vampire hissed. She was more than a mess. She was a magnificent catastrophe waiting to explode into ultimate disaster. Each turn she took at trying to be a better vampire or existing creature went to shit almost immediately after her attempt.

Bella looked up at her hiss and sent her a gentle smile. Alice wanted to die right there but chose to curl up against the cabinets of the oversized bathroom they currently inhabited. Her protective ball was no match for Bella's tenacity as she moved quickly to undo the shame in which Alice had wrapped herself up inside.

"How many times do I have to tell you that it isn't your fault?"

"Nothing is anyone's fault when they're this," Alice spat glancing down at herself. Her stolen shirt was heavy and wet with the blood of dozens of men. Her stolen wool pants were ripped and torn to tatters from the desperate jerks of dying souls fighting against her thin form.

"Alice, I won't hear you talk about yourself that way. Ever. You were thirsty, they were there, and there's nothing else to think about."

"What about their screams? The gurgling noises they made as they gasped for air while I choked them or their sobs? How about their pleas for mercy? I nearly murdered an entire prison of men!"

"It was only one wing and the guards. I drank, too you know."

"Don't argue semantics with me, Bella!"

Bella shook her head. "They were all mostly dead men anyway, Alice. You know that. I know that. Even they knew they were heading for the chair."

"They were still human."

"Do you think every human puts much thought into the pigs they slaughter for breakfast bacon? They don't agonizing over every single bite and you know why? Because it's food. It's what their body needs to survive."

Alice chewed on her lower lip. She had a point. Humans killed animals for sustenance and vampires killed humans for sustenance. The circle of life—just a little bit bigger.

"Maybe I really did belong in the asylum. I'm such a basket case," Alice said. Bella tugged on her arm and pulled her to her own bloodied chest. The smooth movement startled and soothed, pushing confusion and delight at her in a dizzying mass of emotion.

"I've seen crazy, baby. You're not even the tip of the iceberg as they say."

"I'm positive none of them ripped your arms off and clawed up your back," Alice threw at her.

Bella drew back and looked her in the eyes. "Only fools are positive."

"Are you saying—"

"That being limbless isn't a new thing for me? Sugar it most certainly wasn't the first time someone tore me apart. Actually, it wasn't even that bad and besides that, I knew you'd stop before you did any real damage."

"How?"

Bella pulled one of Alice's blood covered hands to her chest and held it there.

"Our bond prevents us from causing any real pain to our mates. It would mean an intense hurt brought upon yourself."

"You were willing to risk the chance that I would stop in time?"

Bella nodded and wrapped her arms around Alice's chest. They stayed like that for a few moments, which seemed to stretch on into hours. In fact, if Bella had suddenly announced that days had passed them by she'd believe her in a second. Ever since waking up Alice had lost most of her sense of time. Unless she saw the sun rise and set with her own eyes she didn't take the time to notice the change.

Her mind swam with questions and incredulity at Bella's admission of trust. Bella could say what she wanted but it had taken an immense amount of trust and faith in her to believe that everything would be okay. She could have died but was comfortable coming close to it just to snap Alice out of the dark recesses of her impulse driven mind.

"C'mon," Bella said. She patted her arm and stood up pulling Alice with her.

So patient and resolute in helping her adapt to this life. Alice felt like crying despite not knowing whether or not she could. Human bodily functions had vanished with her change. She felt the sob build up in her throat and fought to swallow it.

"May I?"

Bella gestured to Alice's shirt. Alice nodded slightly. She watched Bella's nimble fingers move at an agonizing pace while they unbuttoned the blood soaked shirt. Never once did they slip on a button or get frustrated and tear the fabric to bits. It was rewarding to watch in a way, as if the night's memories would fade as easily as Bella had taken to removing her stained clothes.

Bella finished and slid the shirt over Alice's shoulders and addressed her pants next. Alice leaned forward and braced herself against Bella's shoulders as the other woman tugged the wet fabric down her legs. Alice quickly found that she didn't need the balance but the touch and wondered just how much of their bond had to do with how completely safe she felt.

Alice stepped out of the pants and kicked them aside. Her skin still felt wet and she didn't need to look down to know that her body was streaked in blood and dirt. Bella's breathing hitched and Alice looked up at her in confusion surprised to see how nearly black her eyes had become.

"What's the matter?" Alice questioned. Guilt pricked around her senses. She should have been watching out for Bella's emotions. All this time the other woman had been concerned with her and only her, not for anything she might have been experiencing on the massacre at the prison or through calming Alice down.

"It's nothin' really. It's just—well—I know that you'll disagree with me on this but you're so beautiful to me right now."

Alice quirked an eyebrow. "Blood soaked women get you started? You've got strange tastes."

Bella bit into her lower lip and shook her head so that her brown locks fell over her shoulder and brushed gently against Alice's face. For the first time since they met Alice could actually detect a hint of embarrassment playing on the other woman's face.

"It's not the blood."

The words sent a thrill of excitement and warmth straight through her. Before she had a chance to respond Bella ushered her towards the tub. Alice stepped in and reluctantly relinquished her hold on Bella's shoulders as she sank into the warm water sighing comfortably as she did so.

"It's nice right?" Bella asked. Alice just grinned. She watched the blood rise and detach itself from her marble skin and float in the water. Bella produced a bar of soap and a cloth. She dunked each in the water then rubbed them together and waited for the bubbles to form. She took her time cleaning Alice's skin, rubbing firm circles into her back and sliding the cloth lightly up and down her arms, until the blood was all gone.

All the while Alice became increasingly aware of her presence in a way that she hadn't before. Each movement was a sort of orbit around her that made her feel like the sun drawing Bella closer to her. Each breath that caressed her exposed skin engaged her emotions in fervor she didn't understand but craved more of. Every touch sent a tingle down her spine. Something unknown deep inside her coiled tight at each pass of the cloth and threatened to burst.

"All done," Bella whispered in her ear after she'd rinsed Alice's hair of the dirt and grime. Alice all but whimpered at the prospect of being removed from the soothing experience.

"A-aren't you going to bathe?"

Bella chuckled and reached beneath the faucet and between Alice's feet and pulled the rubber plug from its place. "Yes, but if it's all the same I'd rather be in clean bathwater."

"Right," Alice said then momentarily looked at the other tub. The water receded around her.

"You can relax in there while I drain and refill this one."

Alice blinked. "Why don't you just join me?"

Bella's movements stopped and she looked at her with darkening eyes.

"Are you sure that's what you want?"

Alice didn't hesitate to assure her. "Yes. Let me take care of you."

She stood in the tub and Bella instantly rushed to wrap her in a towel.

"You want to take care of me?"

"Of course," Alice replied automatically. They were standing so close now that the fluffy white towel Alice was encased in had begun to absorb some of the blood on Bella's shirt. Somehow it didn't matter to either of them.

"Get in," Alice ordered in a soft voice.

"Yes ma'am," Bella murmured.

The care she'd taken with Alice's clothes was lost on her own. Her fingers hooked in the holes of her shirt and she carelessly ripped them to shreds, which landed, dejectedly at her feet. She shrugged the oversized pants off to reveal full hips and toned legs. Alice hadn't been aware of the fact that her eyes had remained downcast until Bella unnecessarily cleared her throat.

Alice's gaze followed the trail of blood up her legs and stomach, over her full breasts, up her neck and to Bella's face.

"Your eyes are dark you know," Bella commented, moving past her to the tub. Alice gasped and took to finding the cloth and bar of soap to keep herself occupied. On her way to the cloth she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her eyes were indeed as black as night. Her hair was slicked back over her head and her pale body was devoid of any markings or blood. The differences between this sight and her reflection in the window months ago were remarkable.

"I told you that you were beautiful."

Alice laughed and returned to her mate mimicking the ministrations she'd felt mere minutes prior. Bella hummed at her touch and sighed contentedly while Alice massaged her scalp. Once she was finished she drained the tub and refilled it she slid easily between Bella's legs and rested her head back against Bella's shoulder.

The water stilled around them and until Bella moved to rub her hands across Alice's shoulders anyone coming upon them might have believed them to be statues. As Bella's hands worked her shoulders Alice wondered what they would title them if they had.

"Contented complexity," Alice spoke suddenly. "If anyone saw us right now, that's what they'd call us."

Bella chuckled. "Darlin' if humans found us I doubt they'd take the time to name us."

"If they did, though, I'd be willing to be that would be it."

"You're content?"

"Right here and now, yes," Alice breathed.

Bella hummed.

"Bella?"

"Yes, Alice?"

"How did you come to get all of those scars?"

Bella sighed and tensed behind her.

"I don't mean to pry," Alice hastened to recover the serenity of the moment.

"No, no. I'm surprised you haven't asked sooner."

"Well, we've been a bit preoccupied."

Bella nodded slowly and buried her face in Alice's hair. Alice relaxed into her and nuzzled Bella's neck.

"It's a long story with some details you won't want to hear about."

"It won't change how I feel about you. How can it when you've seen everything that I've done since awakening to this life."

"My awakening and yours are completely different. And my sins make yours look like good deeds."

Alice was glad she hadn't asked her exactly what those feelings were as even she couldn't exactly define them. The mystery of Bella's transgressions was as vexing as the day was long. What could Bella have done that was so terrible?

"You've never murdered a whole family."

"Try a whole town," Bella shot back harshly.

Alice gasped. "Oh."

"You'll be disgusted by me."

"Never."

"Is that a promise?"

"No. If you agree to tell me everything," Alice pulled away from her and spoke, "I'll agree to not judge you as you haven't judged me."

Bella smiled languidly. "Agreed."

Bella's fingers made a trail down Alice's arms, which rested by her sides, and inadvertently brushed against Alice's breasts. Alice's back arched slightly and her coil tightened again. Bella made another pass up her arms repeating the brush and her back arched further. Alice's head hit Bella's shoulder.

"Feels good," Alice commented. Bella dropped a soft kiss on Alice's exposed neck drawing a low groan from the other woman. "Very good."

"Alice," Bella murmured into her neck. "You swear you won't hate me."

Alice jerked against her as she trailed kisses up her neck and across her jaw. She turned quickly and pressed herself against Bella not wanting the contact to stop and the path of her lips to be derailed.

Her mind swam as Bella nipped at her chin then pressed her lips softly to her lips. Electricity shot through her, shorting out her brain and causing wave upon wave of pleasure to crash down on her.

Bella's tongue traced her lower lip requesting entry, which Alice granted wholly without question. Every muscle inside of her tightened and released when their kiss became deeper and full of passion she was sure she'd never experienced in her human life. The pleasure made the guilt non-existent. It made her so impossibly happy to think that she could potentially stay wrapped up like this forever. Wrapped up in Bella for all of her existence.

With what she'd remembered of her past she was sure it was better than anything she could have expected as a human woman. In fact, the last time anyone touched her as Bella was doing now was the man who had changed her.

Bella's fingers threaded through her hair, cradling her head, and holding her close. The contact was wonderful but Alice's mind was already elsewhere. Her body jerked in time with her subconscious thoughts of her attacker. Suddenly it was his hands on her and his lips claiming hers. Bella's grip tightened and Alice pushed back.

The kissed stopped and Alice felt worse than when they'd entered the house. The disappointment and hurt echoing in Bella's eyes were enough to send her sloshing out of the tub and into the bedroom with the door slammed shut behind her.

Her petite frame slumped against the glossy oak door. How could she possibly let Bella touch her again with the memory of her sire swimming around in her head?

A timid rap on the door broke through her thoughts.

"Alice, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to move things faster than you were ready to deal with. I just couldn't resist. I didn't want our first kiss to be traumatic."

Alice sighed and choked back her second sob of the evening. Bella could just as well rip the door off of its hinges if she'd wanted to really get to her. She was waiting, patiently, to let Alice make the first move. The sweetness in the gesture ate at her.

"It wasn't—"

"I'm sorry," Bella repeated.

"It was wonderful!" Alice cried out.

"Then, what happened?"

Alice mulled over whether or not to tell her the truth. What would Bella think?

"Alice? Talk to me, I'm not going anywhere."

"It's about my sire," Alice blurted out. There was silence on the other side of the door. Each second of it ticked by at such an agonizingly slow pace that Alice began to panic. Bella was good at moving without noise and without the rustle of her clothes Alice wouldn't be aware of her leaving until the pull activated in her chest.

"You remembered something."

"Yeah, something."

"Do you wanna tell me?"

"No," Alice's voice was below a whisper.

"Okay."

"We can still talk," Alice rushed to eliminate the silence. She felt silly talking through the door rather than to Bella's face but she wasn't ready to see her yet.

"Okay then, we'll start with me."

"At the beginning?"

"From start to finish, the whole thing, like we agreed."

"Good."

She heard Bella slide down the door.

"Before we start, you should know, this story isn't all sunshine and roses," Bella announced.

"Neither was mine."

"I was murdered one year ago in an attempt to force my father, Charles Swan to hand over his lands to the vampire warlord, Maria and her supposed mate, Jasper Whitlock. She couldn't make a scene or she would draw too much attention upon herself. Instead, she bided her time over the course of eighteen years and had Jasper abduct me."

"You're only eighteen?"

"Perfectly frozen. Maria's technically only sixteen and Jasper is preserved at seventeen. Imagine a sixteen-year-old girl torturing you for days, tearing pieces of your flesh from your back and allowing the men in the camp to rape you and feed off of you. Each time they'd suck out the venom and prevent my change. I don't remember most of it in exact vivid detail but the stories are gruesome enough on their own."

Alice couldn't imagine how she'd survived considering she was so young. She was filled with sadness and rage at what Bella had to endure and felt idiotic for harboring her own secret.

"My father thought he could get me back on his own terms and denied her final offer all the while planning to sneak into her camp and rescue me. His desperation was our undoing. Jasper went against Maria's orders and changed me that night to prevent more torture. As a punishment Maria captured my father and chained him up inside the same pen they'd put me in during my change. Jasper didn't know until it was too late."

"Oh, God, Bella," Alice gasped. Her chest felt like it was breaking open with Bella's pain.

"When I awoke, my thirst consumed me beyond anything else. I didn't know who I was or where I was but I knew that my throat was on fire. I killed the first available living thing. I murdered my own father."

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><p>AN: And there we go. Another chapter in the can. I've got the first few pages of the next one done and if all goes well it should be up sooner rather than later. Leave me some words and let me know what you think of the new developments!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks for the responses to the last chapter. It's because of you guys that this is up so quickly! This chapter is a little bit longer than what you've been used to so I apologize for that. There was just so much to explain and it's only a fourth of the exposition needed for the story to move on. I hope you guys enjoy it!

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><p>"Still think your beginning is worse than mine?" Bella teased from the opposite side of the room. Alice huffed and shook her head in response.<p>

She continued her daunting task of finding clothes that actually fit her and would be comfortable to run in. The house Bella had temporarily procured for them belonged to some very well to do individuals that appeared to be out of town, or at least that was what Alice had supposed. After collecting their wits and realizing that daylight would come in a few hours with the possibility of the family that owned the house coming back, they'd decided to cut and run.

Of course, doing so naked was Alice's suggestion. Bella shot her down instantly with little more than a growl.

"I take it we're going to be around living things that aren't furry and adorable," she had needled her mate's apparent issue with decency or her lack of it, rather.

"I may not be able to read minds but I know what would be running through their thoughts if you were to approach bare assed."

"My excellent posture?" Alice had asked innocently. Another growl signaled the end of that particular conversation and the beginning of Alice's hunt through the closet that belonged to the lady of the household.

Bella had been quick to procure her new wardrobe, which consisted of nearly every bit of equestrian attire the woman owned, and a leather satchel from the Mister's closet to keep them in. This is what left Bella lounging on the sofa at the end of the bed with her riding booted feet kicked up. She'd dressed in record time in the soft cotton slacks which were tight, well everywhere, and slimmed themselves down to her boots which reached her knees. The yellow blouse was silken and sleeveless and her fitted jacket, leather and brown, indicating that someone in the house rode motorcycles in their spare time. Her excuse? Dresses were confining and obscured her ability to fend off an attack.

Having left Alice with the extremely unnecessary rows of dresses and ball gowns it wasn't too much for Alice to assume that Bella wasn't even entertaining the idea of her fighting. Of course the questioning of such assumptions brought out more growls.

"If you'd rather growl at me than talk I'd kindly like for you to leave the room."

Bella huffed. Alice grinned in victory.

"I'm going to have to fight some day, Bella. Wouldn't it be better for me to know how than to be left alone unable to defend myself?"

"You won't be alone as long as I roam this earth," Bella answered haughtily. Alice snorted.

"Do you mean to sound like a brooding alpha male when you talk or is it just my delicate sensibilities?"

"I don't know _what_ you're talking about."

"Mmmhmm," Alice replied. She went deeper into the closet, fingering the soft fabrics as she went. Despite her griping, the dresses were all unbelievably beautiful. She could imagine the silk fabric draping over Bella's voluptuous curves. Of course on her any of them would drown her in fabric.

The lengths were too long and pointed to the fact that they were meant for a woman much taller than herself. Alice sighed. They really were nice. If only there were something in here that fit.

"Alice we only have a few hours before sunrise," Bella called which Alice mimicked silently.

Maybe the couple had a daughter? Alice grinned and dashed out of the room.

"Alice!"

"Just a minute!"

Two room checks later and Alice squealed in delight. She'd hit pay dirt and couldn't wait to rub it in Bella's face. If the mother rode horses, surely the daughter did as well. Alice burst through the closet door and as an after thought left the wreckage as it was. It was better the family thought someone had really broken in rather than blame the help for their missing items. With the pull of a chain the closet lay open and bare to her wishes in bright gleaming light. She could have seen everything perfectly fine the dark but the light made the sight before her even more exciting.

She flipped through her choices and pulled out the simple riding wear surprisingly by just smelling it. She took care to remember the distinct scent of cotton and how it differed from silk which lead her to her next discovery. She'd seen the petite sliver of orange silk the moment she'd stepped in the closet but had been too distracted to investigate. Her gaze moved across the flowing material and it's splashes of yellow and red up the sides and a bit of black at the hemline. In an instant she'd snatched it from it's place and held it out before her to gain a better look.

It would come down just below her knees and flutter out if she spun while its inch thick straps would hang off of her shoulders. Considering that it was closer to her actual size she estimated that it would cling to her form much like Bella's pants had accentuated her hips.

Alice wasn't completely unaware of her straight up and down figure. She had slighter hips and slightly smaller breasts than Bella and pretty much anything the other woman wore would just hang off of her. If this dress could eliminate that problem she'd gladly carry it around to wear at the right moment.

With a small smile tugging at her lips she tossed the dress on the bed and hurried into the grey pants and red sleeveless blouse. The girl the clothes belonged to was definitely more slim that her as everything conformed neatly to her skin and clung desperately to her form.

She spotted a similar leather satchel and piled the spare clothes inside along with the neatly folded dress just as Bella ghosted into the room.

"What's taking so long—oh."

Alice spun around keeping the satchel behind her. "What was that, Bella?"

Bella blinked and closed her mouth with an audible snap of her perfectly formed teeth and a pop of her lips. "Nothing," she said quickly.

"Right," Alice said with a cheeky grin.

"Are you ready?"

"Mmm one more thing."

Alice blurred over to the young girls vanity and carefully picked up a few combs and a beautifully crafted silver hairbrush.

"Now, we're ready."

Alice threw the items into the satchel and closed it tight. Upon swinging it onto her back she faced Bella's beautiful but irritatingly smirking face.

"Something the matter?"

"You're going to need shoes, darlin'," Bella said. Alice looked down at her pale feet and gasped.

"Why?"

"We'll be passing through towns over the next few days and it'll be awfully strange if you're strolling through barefoot."

"I haven't worn shoes since…I don't even know! Besides, I can't imagine running through the forest without feeling the ground beneath me."

"Well, it can't be that much of a foreign concept. I'll tell you what, grab the shoes and you can run barefoot until we cross through the next town."

Alice blew out a short breath and acquiesced by snagging the riding boots from the closet and stuffing them in the satchel. With everything reattached and slung over her shoulder they were off.

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><p>"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" Alice asked some time after, while running beside her mate. They hadn't talked, not really, since Bella's explanation of her re-birth into this life. Eventually Alice had let her into the room and held her into the early morning hours. Bella didn't ask about her sudden departure from the tub and Alice didn't press for more information about Bella's past. It worked for a while.<p>

Now, the questions were burning through Alice's mind at a rapid pace. Bella had killed her father but what happened next? Did Jasper retaliate against Maria for punishing Bella? Did Maria harm her after she'd fed?

"That's not the question you want to ask," Bella stated. "Not really, anyway."

"Humor me anyway," Alice said.

"We're on our way to Montana," Bella announced. "We're going to meet up with my sire and his mate."

Alice skidded to a halt and Bella rounded on her with concern in her eyes. "We're going to see Maria?"

Bella tipped her head to the side then laughed. "God no. It seems you're ready for the next chapter of my story."

"Are you ready to tell me?" Alice asked, remembering how vulnerable it made Bella just a few hours before.

"I'm not happy about having to relive it but you need to know."

"Will it slow us down?"

Bella chuckled. "I don't know about you but I can run talk at the same time."

Alice rolled her eyes but fell into step when they began running again. With the hot air running through her hair and warming her skin she had to focus on Bella to be sure she didn't lose herself in the thrill of running alongside her.

"Jasper, bless his eternal soul, arrived shortly after I awakened and separated me from my father's corpse. He culled my anger and bloodlust long enough for me to realize what I had done. I felt low and mourned my father's life or at least what I could remember of it."

"So you retain some memories?"

"Yes, the first moments of a newborn's life are very important for that very reason. The last thing that the venom burns is your human memories. If you fight to hold on to them and outlast the venom's effects you get to keep what you can remember forever."

"That's a nice prize," Alice remarked.

"I didn't think so at the time. Everything was so loud and my eyesight was shockingly sharp. My senses went into overload and I couldn't find any amount of control without Jasper's help."

"What can he do?"

"He's an empath He can sense and control feelings. Hence the calming effect my shield has on people. It can control them while they're encased inside although it takes a lot of energy to uphold it."

"Obviously."

"Alice," Bella groaned at having to remember their tumultuous beginning.

"Sorry, please, continue madam."

Bella shot her a dirty look but continued nonetheless.

"Caught between remembering my life with my father and the life I had now I was struck by the sound of a frantically beating heart. To our knowledge no one around us was living and so our eyes fell upon my father."

"You changed him!"

"I didn't mean to although despite all that's happened I'm glad that I did. It was a combination between Jasper pulling me away from him and the natural work of our venom. Needing him to survive Jasper bit into his wrists and pushed more venom into his system. Jasper ordered me topside so that he could shield me from Maria. I didn't listen. I couldn't leave _him _behind."

The green scenery flew past them as they ran and Alice absorbed the story as it was told. If Bella's father were alive then perhaps the ending wouldn't be so sad after all. Maybe he was in New York or waiting somewhere else to reunite with his daughter away from Maria.

"When Maria found out that I had changed him she was initially angry but like myself she'd become delighted by the idea. Charles Swan was quite wealthy in his human life. He owned half of our town of Galveston, Texas by the time he was twenty-one, mostly thanks to his inheritance, and marriage to my mother who also came from a wealthy family, but a good chunk due to his own sharp business mind. She wanted him to be the face of her army and give more of a reputation to her camps. He still had a young face at the age of thirty five. With our money and the property in Galveston, she could easily expand her territory from Mexico to Texas and she did."

"Charles helped her?"

"Not exactly by choice," Bella amended. "Maria has a gift, too."

"What? Mind control?"

"Hypnotism to be precise."

"So she looks into your eyes like if we were glamouring someone?"

"No. Her presence is more than enough. She chains you up in her expansive tent and pumps her influence through you by remaining close by and encouraging you to trust her whilst breaking you and eventually biting you. Her venom seals the bond and as long as you trust her it remains. Each member of her army has gone through this. Some of us have required more work than others."

"I take it that means you?"

Bella nodded and led them towards a river.

"Jump!"

Bella leapt on the last rock between them and the rapidly moving water. As she flew through the air the sunlight caught her skin and Alice became distracted by her beauty and cut her run short. She landed easily on the other side in a half crouch and stood to look back at Alice with an impatient expression on her face.

That Alice could see her that far was amazing to her. The younger woman backed up, took a running start at the river, and leapt, mimicking Bella's motions and landing besides her feeling more exhilarated than before.

"I kind of want to do that again."

"There are plenty of rivers and streams between here and Montana," Bella answered and then took off with bell like laughter ringing behind her.

"So she's hypnotized your father."

"Uh-huh," Bella responded. "She spent two months with him feeding him and catering to his every whim while pushing her own brand of mind control on him. He trusts her implicitly now and if he remembers me at all it's buried deep below that. She has him convinced that she is his mate and that her empire needs to grow in order to protect them. So, she kept him and he became her face to the humans. They already knew him, had worked with him, and trusted him. I tried to stop her and she threw me in her tent promising to break me."

"Did she?"

Bella didn't answer for a while and Alice didn't press her. The dark cloud that showed through her features told her enough. The vulnerable Bella back at the house was long gone, stuffed deep inside the woman that ran beside her now. Anger filled every part of this woman. It was in the way she pumped her arms and forced herself to move faster, the tightness of her spine, and in the roar Alice could see was working it's way out of her. The day had begun to fade when Bella stopped and wrapped her arms around the thick trunk of a tree and yanked it from its roots. Alice stopped a few feet away and watched her mate scream as she chucked the loose bark a half a mile away.

Anger filled her at the distressing pull she felt. Bella slammed her fist into the trunk of another tree, smashing clear through the thick bark and causing the rest of the tree to tip over and land beside her. Her mate had clearly suffered at the hands of this woman and it obviously hadn't been as simple as sitting together in a tent for days on end. She had done things to make her break.

"She hurt you," Alice's voice was soft. Bella turned her head to the side and glanced over her shoulder, revealing the pained expression that she'd been hiding. Alice appeared by her side in the blink of an eye, her hand immediately seeking out hers and grasping it between soft fingers.

"For weeks. Months actually. The two months following my entrance into that tent were the worst of my existence. Many of the scars on my body come from those weeks spent with her."

"How could that foster trust?"

"Forced trust is more like it. I was conditioned to believe that pain would follow my leaving Maria. If I left her I'd die."

"I'm not proud to admit that I eventually broke down but it's what she does. She deliberately weakens her target until they can no longer fight her. Then she swoops in and rebuilds what she's broken down and makes you hers."

Alice hissed. "What exactly does that mean?"

"It means exactly what you're thinking. She has her way with you, makes you feel better, stronger, and feel the need to please her. Then she marks you publicly in front of the camp to show you and everyone that you're hers. In exchange she promises that you'll always be fed and kept safe."

"Fire is what destroys us right?"

"It's the only thing that can," Bella replied while scratching at Maria's mark underneath her blouse. "Other than that we're indestructible even when torn apart."

"I want to see that bitch burn," Alice grounded out between her teeth. Her grip on Bella's hand tightened. How dare that woman, that animal, touch _her _Bella?

"You don't need to feel jealous," Bella cooed. "It wasn't pleasurable beyond the body and even then it never felt like my reactions were my own."

"She raped you," Alice surmised furiously. "Nothing about it was consensual!"

"I wouldn't say that. If I wanted to, I could have asked her to kill me at any time and she would have. That was the choice given, death or an eternal bond with her. Burn or become her property. It pains me to say that I chose what I felt was the lesser of two evils. I didn't know any other way."

Alice's arms wove their way around Bella's waist bringing them face-to-face. She reached up and stroked the older woman's cheek. "You did what you had to do to survive. I'm glad that you came out of it."

"Me too," Bella murmured resting her forehead against Alice's and returning her embrace.

"We have to keep moving," Bella said after a few minutes breaking the serenity of the moment.

"I can sense them," Alice answered. Ten miles back someone or something was moving at a rapid pace. She could feel their landing on their side of the river bed.

"Don't stop unless I tell you to," Bella commanded gently. "I won't lose you to whatever is coming. If I tell you to keep going, please do what I say."

Alice nodded although she wasn't sure if she could follow Bella's instructions. If the other woman believed Alice would run while Bella would fight she was in for a rude awakening. Alice may not have known how to fight like Bella did but she sure as hell knew her strength would help.

They took off in a dead straight run in front of them. Despite the danger Alice still felt exhilarated at their method of escape. She wasn't sure if adrenaline worked for vampires without a beating heart but the energy pouring through her veins sent her thundering beside her mate faster than she'd ever run before.

They jumped, bobbed, and weaved their way through the forest over countless miles and even with those efforts the gap was closing between them and the thing that was chasing them. Alice didn't know whether or not anything was capable of chasing them besides another vampire and had to assume that another of their undead brethren had caught their scent and was following them. Friend or foe was the main question burning in her mind. Stopping to find out wasn't exactly the best course of action.

"Whoever it is, they're fast!" Alice shouted as she and Bella took to the treetops, flinging themselves through branches and managing to fly above the things behind them.

"We're going to have to stop soon. I can hear heartbeats ahead, a lot of them," Bella said.

Alice listened and could hear them, too. It was becoming easier to distinguish single heartbeats in a crowd in order to count how many humans there were. In the jail she'd recognized seven heartbeats as she tore through and drained their owners. Speaking of her thirst, her throat began to itch at the prospect of humans being nearby. The thought of beating hearts sped up the craving. She could hear the squelching noise they made as they beat rhythmically in their owners chest, pumping sweet blood through their veins.

"I don't know if I'll be able to stop if we reach them," Alice said and sent Bella an apologetic look. She was slowing them down with her lack of control. A few miles closer and she'd be unable to stop herself from grabbing the nearest human, snapping their neck, and draining them dry.

"On the count of three I want you to stop and stay behind me," Bella called out.

"Alright, let's do it."

"One, two, three!"

Alice dropped down from the tree tops and landed neatly on her feet as Bella did the same right in front of her. She watched her mate throw her hands up into the air with no visible results.

"Did you just-"

"Shh, I have to concentrate," Bella said with a strained voice. Slowly she lowered her hands and glanced back at her.

"Don't move, I've tightened the shield so that it surrounds only the space we're in."

"Will they be able to break through?"

"Not unless they've got some extraordinary gift I've never heard of. No one has ever gotten through my shield."

"Well, that's comforting," Alice said actually feeling relieved. As an afterthought she wondered if it were the effect of the shield in place. Either way it didn't matter. She was safe as long as Bella was here.

Alice could smell them before she saw them, Almonds and fresh milk mixed with a pure mint. They reached out to her, called to her, and infused her with a measure of fear that they were coming and when they got to them nothing remotely good would happen.

Their pace slowed half a mile out and Bella reached back to grab a hold of her hand perhaps not trusting her to stay put. Alice began to hiss but instead calmed herself when Bella's thumb began to run circles across her skin. Maybe the gesture was as much to calm Bella as it was to keep Alice from reacting brashly.

"What the hell?" Bella muttered as two vampires entered their little area.

The male was taller than them both with bright red eyes a muted deep chocolate pallor and was dressed in a faded but stylish blue suit. His dark and long matted hair swung over his shoulders as he walked. The female stood half a foot shorter than him and sported murky auburn eyes that still blazed with intensity as she looked upon them. Her skin was as white and pale as the freshly driven snow and glossy pale blonde locks hung straight down her back and stopped at her waist. Her nose was pinched and pointed to the sky, giving her a regal air. They approached slowly, cautiously, and for just a second Alice began to believe that Bella's reputation had preceded her.

"Isabella, how good it is to see you again mon amie," his voice was like velvet and wrapped in an accent Alice had never heard but oddly enough liked.

He came to a halt a few feet away from them with just enough distance to cut tail and run if they needed and enough to spring forward in attack if things went south. Alice sneered at their tactics. Why not come a little bit closer where she could reach out and crush them if she wanted.

The woman stiffened and her blonde hair cascading down her shoulders as she stopped beside him. Her eyes remained stuck on Alice's smaller form sizing her up before moving on to Bella. The quickness in which she did this angered Alice. Did she not think her a threat? A big mistake on her part.

"Laurent it's good to see you again," Bella spoke with no emotion belying her knowledge of the man. Alice couldn't be sure if they were mere acquaintances or more.

"Just tell her what you came to tell her and let's go," the blonde spat harshly. He held his hand up in front of her imploring patience.

She sighed and crossed her arms sending daggers at Alice and Bella. Clearly she didn't want to be here.

"Where is the rose?" Bella asked.

"In the north where she awaits your call," Laurent replied. Bella relaxed but still kept her hand on Alice. Laurent seemed to relax as well stepping closer to his companion and wrapping an arm around her waist. The blonde's expression eased as he did so.

"Why have you come, my friend? And who is your companion?"

"Pardon my manners," he spoke and it was a delight to hear his voice.

"This is my Irina," he said turning to gaze into her auburn eyes. He stroked her chin to which she smiled.

"You're mated," Bella stated with a hint of happiness in her voice.

"Just this past week, I apologize for her reaction to you we're both still a little possessive."

"Understood. This," Bella jerked her head in Alice's direction as she peered from behind her, "is my Alice."

"So, Maria's truth sayer did not lie. She _is_ real," Laurent clapped his hands together.

"Obviously. I'm right here!" Alice snapped. Being talked about as if she wasn't around with vocal chords and a mouth was irritating.

"That you are," Laurent said. "I'm pleased to see you've found happiness after all that has happened."

"Right back at ya," Bella said with a glance in Irina's direction that made Alice hiss behind her.

"Alice," Bella warned to which Alice growled and Bella finally sighed.

"Just a few months and we're still connecting," she announced.

"I see," Laurent said then smiled widely.

"Why have you followed us, Laurent? I doubt it was for the exercise."

"I've come with news from Jasper," he said and his expression sobered. Bella nodded.

"What's happened?"

"Montana was compromised nearly as soon as we got there."

"Were you followed?"

"No, they were already there, it seems Maria had stationed a spy in our midst."

"Who?" Bella's voice was pinched with pain.

"Lucas, the bastard had received her bite before he joined us. He's been funneling information to her for weeks and it paid off for him before we burned him."

"Are there others," Bella asked eager for more news.

"Not that I knew of when Jasper sent me out to warn our allies," he said. "It was there that I met Irina."

"With the Cullens in Boston? I didn't know they had another female in their midst."

"I am a cousin," Irina spoke for the first time, her tone was icy and petulant.

"The Denali's are allies of the Cullens and as such have aligned themselves with us," Laurent explained. "The decision was made shortly after I arrived with the news."

"And you mated with one of their own," Bella commented.

"We are tired of Volturi rule and the threat of Maria's army sweeping upwards and taking over our allied territory. The deal was that if you scratched our backs we'd scratch yours."

"So, now it's the Volturi we're after? Is that wise right now?"

"You'll have to ask Jasper when you see him in New York," Laurent said.

"It's too populated how could he move our group there. It doesn't make sense," Bella ground out.

Laurent shrugged. "We were to inform you that you're needed there in a week and to meet Edward at the edge of the state. He'll lead you to the camp."

"How's he holding up?"

"He is not happy about it in the least most of all I still think he holds a grudge against you."

"Who is Edward?" Alice asked suddenly.

"A Cullen who's lost his way," Irina seethed.

"Irina," Laurent admonished. "He is a grown man and can take care of himself."

"Fat load of good that did him," Irina spat. "Your Major had better know what he's doing with this situation, especially with Edward! I have no intention of sacrificing my mate or my family for his endeavors."

Bella growled at her fiercely and Alice tensed to spring from behind her.

"Then maybe you shouldn't have asked for his help. We've got our own problems in case you didn't notice."

"We must go now, our next stop is California, and we must move our other allies quickly and quietly. Maria is getting smart. She's monitoring our movements closely through her usual channels and Charles' human contacts. We don't know how many spies she has out and about but we've been instructed to blend in with the humans and only travel by day."

"What? That's crazy!" Bella exclaimed. "We'll be exposed."

"They'll never suspect it. Besides, it is storm season across the eastern seaboard. Lots of cloudy days ahead."

"Fine," Bella muttered although Alice could tell she disagreed. "Which point of entry will we meet Edward at. "

"We were told you would meet at the state lines where only the humans cross. Now, we must go."

"It was nice to see you again, Laurent," Bella said. He nodded.

"Stay safe, mon amie, I would hate to have to face the Major if you were to fall to that witch."

"My need for survival is much more intense now that I have something else to concern myself with," Bella replied with a half smile.

"We are the same in that regard," Laurent said then turned to his mate whose features softened under his gaze.

"Let us go."

They were gone in an instant as quickly as they had crept up in their awareness. Bella's shield lowered the moment she turned to her.

"I don't suppose you remember ever going to New York before?"

Alice laughed. "I can't say that I do."

"Well, then let's work on that control so you don't eat the whole state," Bella joked.

Alice hissed but otherwise agreed. "How do I do that?"

"By becoming more acclimated to their presence. It's almost nightfall, we'll hunt then you can begin on a full stomach and I'll figure out the best route from wherever we are to New York."

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><p>I've been told that I need to end my chapters at a point in which I still feel like writing. I tried it with this one and it's killing me! My fingers are still itching to type and my mind is already on the next couple of chapters which I'm anxious to get to. At any rate I hope this answers some questions and raised some others. Let me know how you guys feel! Go on leave me some love!<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry it's been a while! School just started back up and although this is my last semester for my second degree I've just been caught up with it and working full time. I hope you guys enjoy!

As always all mistakes are my own. I'm without a beta and so I don't have that neat extra pair of eyes glancing over my shoulder to tell me when things aren't right.

Disclaimer: You know I own nothing... so why do you ask?

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><p>Alice watched the squat dark haired man skulk about in the shadows of the dirt and trash filled alley. His eyes were trained on a young woman carrying a pile of wood back to the Inn where she worked. The streets were mostly empty at this hour as everyone in town was either at home, at the local bar, or at the evening church services.<p>

It was amazing how people immediately began to scatter as darkness descended on the little town. It was as if they knew what lurked about at night. In some small way, Bella had assured her that they did. Like animals, humans had an instinct that triggered when a predator was near. This man, standing a few feet below her in the alley, had no such intuition. If he had, he would have been gone moments after Alice had arrived on the ledge with Bella at her side instructing her quietly on how to hunt without destroying everything in sight.

"Instinct is key," Bella whispered.

"We've seen what my instinct drives me to do," Alice said. How would she just stop at the man? What if she went after the girl or followed her to the Inn? Then what would they do?

"Would you like me to…well, you know? As a fail safe?"

"You can't use your shield every time I hunt. What happens if you're not with me? I've got to learn how to do this."

Bella grumbled something about Alice not having to worry about being alone on a hunt but otherwise kept quiet.

"Okay, just focus on your kill. He's yours; no one can take him from you, not even me. He's your sustenance, what you need to survive. Only him. Keep your thoughts trained on just him."

"Will you stop me? If I try to go for her?"

"Yes, I promise I won't let you hurt her or anyone else."

"Alright, then," Alice said confidently.

"Just keep in mind, you're stronger than me, I may have to use my shield to calm you," Bella warned. Alice sighed; it _was_ a possibility that Bella couldn't hold her for long.

"Okay, okay, I just don't want your shield to be my reason for not learning better control."

"Trust me, there's no problem there. We just can't afford for you to desecrate the entire town. We attracted enough attention at that prison in Tennessee," Bella reminded her. Not that she'd needed reminding. The newspapers in the sleepy town they were in were still covering the mystery of twelve prisoners dead and five guards missing. It followed them wherever they went from Tennessee to Georgia where they were currently.

"I know. We have to be careful."

"Hey, I know you know," Bella murmured while caressing Alice's cheek.

The man below made a move out of the alley in the direction of the girl, his hand at his hip already gripping the handle of an impressively sized knife.

"Go, now!"

Alice didn't need to be told twice. She took off across the roof and leapt down behind the man. She gripped his collar and neatly flung him over her shoulder, sending him careening into the nearest brick wall. Alice leaned forward and watched the girl continue with out pause into the Inn.

"What the hell!" the man wheezed and Alice was on him quickly to ensure it was the only noise he got out. Her hand wrapped around his throat and applied enough pressure so that he could only squeak out indiscernible words between them.

"Shhh," Alice commanded before sinking her teeth into his throat.

His mouth flopped open and closed as he gasped for more oxygen to scream with. Even if he had the chance to sound any sort of alarm, it was utterly useless. Alice drank until there was nothing left then let him collapse into the ground.

She glanced over her shoulder at the entrance to the alley. In the distance, the bar was hopping with rowdy men and loud music. How easy would it be for her to sneak in and kill them all? She could fill a mug with their blood and toast to their corpses before drinking. It would have been effortless.

Bella landed beside her but Alice didn't spare her a second glance. Her body was full of venom and fresh blood but every fiber of her being craved more.

"You need to finish him off," Bella stated. Her voice shook Alice free of the oncoming blood lust.

"I fee like I need more," Alice whimpered. "Why is that?"

"You're still a growing vampire," Bella quipped.

"You're joking right?"

"No," Bella said soberly. "Darlin' you've got to realize that you burn the blood out of your system much faster than I do. It takes more to keep you going than it does me. Once you get closer to your one year mark you'll notice you won't need to feed as often and your thirst will be more manageable."

"How do you know all of this? Wait a minute, don't tell me. Jasper."

"He's my sire, Alice, nothing more that a brother to me."

"I recall a certain nickname Juan and Julio had for you? The Major's whore, wasn't it?"

Bella hissed and turned away from her facing the dead body. "It's not like that and you know it."

"He was the right hand man to the devil herself and murdered how many was it?" Alice said. The dark look on Bella's face told her the other woman was beginning to regret having told her of the Major's infamous exploits. Bella had told her days before that he was dangerous for a reason and that reason was as wrapped up inside of him as much as they all needed to feed. He was a killer, Maria's favorite, and had turned Bella against her will. On those grounds alone Alice hated him and likened him to her own sire.

"He sounds just like Maria. A monster." Alice said lowly. She fought the urge to meet Bella's hiss with one of her own and failed miserably. Bella turned back to her at the noise with teeth bared.

"You don't talk about him that way," Bella ground out between gritted teeth.

"I just did," Alice said. Her voice took on a challenging tone that set Bella's burgundy eyes ablaze with fury.

Some part of the younger vampire wanted to see her snap out of the intense calm she'd maintained nearly every day they'd been together. Another portion of Alice felt her undead heart breaking at the possibility that Bella could care more about her sire than her mate. It wasn't supposed to be that way was it? It felt wrong to her, completely foreign, to feel more for anyone else than Bella despite not entirely coming to terms with what it was that she felt.

All she knew was that it appeared limitless and intense on either side of the spectrum of love and hate. She'd hated her and needed her all at once and wouldn't trade it for anything. That Bella would defend Jasper to her in such a concentrated manner angered and terrified her.

"He is my sire, the reason why I am here to stand beside you tonight. You will respect him."

"What if I say no? What will you do then, Bella?"

A growl worked its way up her mate's throat. Alice could see her trying to swallow back the urge and it pleased her to know that she was trying to not cause her pain.

"Disrespecting him is to disrespect the life he's led and everything he's done with it, including creating me. To disrespect my sire is to disrespect me. Would you do that?"

Alice hissed at the insinuation. "I respect you Bella, I just don't like what I've heard and I don't like what's been implied about your relationship."

Bella's eyes softened and instead of growling she sighed needlessly and mused her hair out of habit. Inside, Alice was bouncing with joy.

"I'm no more attracted to Jasper than I am to a door knob," she said slowly. "You know this."

"Then why did they say that you were his whore? He didn't…did he?" Alice asked becoming more hysterical as she reached another potential conclusion.

Bella's hands came up slowly as to not alarm her. "No. Never once did he force me to do anything like that."

Alice's shoulders slid into a more relaxed position and she nodded at her mate's reassurance.

"Come on let's take care of the body."

"If I ask you later will you tell me about him and let _me_ decide from there as to whether or not he's a worthy person to fight for?"

The muscles in Bella's jaw tightened sending her whole body into a tense state, which inadvertently quelled Alice's internal joy. She switched tactics.

"I might feel better knowing more. I don't want to cause trouble when I meet him," Alice bargained with the possibility.

It wasn't far off from what could possibly happen. From what she knew of Maria her right hand man seemed to be just as much the horrible character as his mistress. If she couldn't tear Maria apart and found out he was the next best thing she'd settle for his ashes.

"How are we going to do this?"

"When we used to go hunting in town we'd always either bury the body or make it look more like an accident," Bella explained. "There's no place really secluded around here to bury him so we'll have to go with the latter."

"And how do we accomplish that?" Alice asked.

Bella pulled the man's knife from his side, raised it to his throat, and slid it neatly across his skin. The end result was a gaping wound. Bella dropped the body in the puddle of blood Alice had inadvertently created during feeding. She licked her pale lips at the sight of the deep red mixture. It would be chilled now but still good. Her legs ached to move forward.

"We only need a more viable option for the humans to pursue. Trust me, they'd rather believe that someone slit his throat trying to get something valuable rather than entertain the idea of vampires in their midst. As long as we make it plausible we're covered."

Alice watched her neatly pick the pickets of the man, retrieving a thick billfold and a ring of keys. She fanned herself with the bills while simultaneously swinging the keys around her index finger.

"What the hell was he doing with all of that?" Alice gasped.

Bella shrugged and nudged him with her boot. "Well, darlin, it's not like he was the paragon of society. My guess is that he was a pickpocket."

"What now?"

"Ya thirsty?"

"I thought we covered that already."

"Liquor, baby," Bella grinned and then side stepped around her. She stuffed the bills into her pocket and immediately climbed the wall. Alice was quick to follow her to the ledge and further across the roof. Bella played with the keys in her hand.

"Watchmen's Tavern and Inn dash 4," Bella read aloud from the thick wooden plaque attached to the ring of keys. She threw a mischievous look over her shoulder at waggled her eyebrows at Alice.

In response Alice crossed her arms then shook her head. "One more crime to chalk up."

"At least we'll keep the chalk companies in business, darlin'," Bella said then chuckled at her own joke. The motion caused several strands of hair to fall in her face. Alice was acutely aware of how much she wanted to brush the strands away, to once again feel her smooth skin under her fingertips. It was a good idea that kick started the ever-growing need for Bella that hadn't stopped nagging her since their bath.

A thrill of excitement shot through her straight to her core as she languished in the memory of their intimacy. When she came back to reality she started instantly. She hadn't been aware of her mate moving until she was right in front of her peering into her red eyes with her own colored irises flashing a deep concern. Without a word Bella drew back apparently not needing to ask if Alice were okay. Instead her fingers trailed down Alice's arm to trace the back of her slender hand.

"What was that about?"

Bella's substitute question caught her off guard. Could she answer that? Alice chewed on her lower lip while Bella's tongue darted out to wet hers. The mutual nervousness was a small comfort. It meant that Bella was invested in her answer but didn't stop Alice from wondering if it were the bond between them or if it were really her that Bella was interested in.

"Just a thought about our last few days together," Alice responded in a way that she hoped was vague enough. "How far things have progressed with the…plan."

Bella nodded and her fingers stopped moving against her.

"Let's get to the tavern," Bella said. "Ol' boy down there probably has a room we can use to plan our next move."

"Maybe we can get cleaned up," Alice suggested. She hoped Bella would draw the same conclusion she'd had about the brief bit of civilization they were about to indulge in.

"You don't have to ask to see me naked," Bella replied. Her usually melodic voice took on a deeper tone that would have made Alice's blood rush into her cheeks if she weren't dead.

"That wasn't at all what I meant," Alice backtracked feeling some what mortified. Bella chuckled and patted her shoulder.

"Of course not, darlin'," she whispered. "Let's go before the inn keeper turns in for the night."

"Which way are we sneaking in?" She asked.

Bella snorted loudly. "Not this time, darlin. We're strollin' in through the front door."

Alice balked what about their eyes, their skin, obviously they wouldn't fit in just waltzing in like they were regulars. It would draw too much attention!

"We need to get maps from the bar and dressing up as our friend down there isn't going to do it. I'll need to glamour the bartender and the owner if necessary."

"Still calling attention to ourselves remember? Besides, what am I supposed to do?"

"Keep watch," Bella stated. "Notice everything about the people in there. One of them may be our ticket out of here. It also wouldn't hurt to pick up on a few human mannerisms. It'll help us while we travel. "

"Like what?"

"Things you don't do anymore. For instance, don't stand so still, be more aware of yourself and your movements. If you notice the people inside are fidgeting then you follow suit, if they laugh you should smile as if you're following their line of humor, if you stand too still or too quietly for longer than you should that's more of a warning sign than most anything else."

"Why is that?" Alice queried.

"Because they'll start to notice that you're watching them too intently. As our natural prey it's an instinct inside all of them that will kick in when they become aware of you. Never forget, Alice, above all you're a predator and if you give them the chance to sense it they'll scatter."

"They're human, they can't hurt us," Alice responded.

"Like Laurent said, Maria's got spies everywhere. As far as I'm concerned a human recognizing us is just as deadly as a vampire cornering us. They both lead down the same road. "

Alice sighed. She didn't like it. From day one of her vampiric existence she knew that keeping their secret was paramount, even without Bella's explanation of the Vampire royalty to keep her in check. The moment the tavern patrons saw them they'd know something was up. Alice tried to shake the assumption. Bella was older, more experienced than her. She'd know what to do more than she would and besides that she'd kept them safe thus far.

She wished she could know for sure.

"What's got you so riled up?" Bella asked. "You trust me right?"

"I can't shake the feeling that going down there right now would do more harm than good. There are an awful lot of people down there. What if—"

Bella shook her head and interrupted in a soft tone. "Hey, I know you'll do fine. I'll be right there beside you the whole time, no one will get hurt."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Alice snapped. Her gut was aching fiercely and she couldn't place the reason why. Something about the moment was all-wrong to her. Bella sighed impatiently and Alice threw her an apologetic look.

"Can't we sneak in later when they've all gone and steal the maps then go to the room?"

"The faster I get my hands on those maps the faster we can get out of here, darlin. Once the sun comes up we'll be forced indoors. I don't know about you but I'd like to hurry up and get this show on the road. Now, c'mon let's get down there and get things going."

"No!" Alice shouted. Bella shushed her, which incited an even louder hiss. Bella's eyebrows rose.

"You know I'd never put you in danger Alice. You're doing better than before. If you weren't you would have slaughtered the whole town the second we got here."

"What about a danger you can't foresee?" Alice snapped. "What then? Will you wish we'd waited instead of barging in?"

"Alice…" Bella whispered the admonishment like a parent ready to discipline a child. Alice growled back at her and stalked away. Her senses couldn't be wrong could they? She decided instantly that they weren't otherwise what was the point. Why be capable of feeling danger a mile away when she was being told to ignore it? Why couldn't Bella see what she was saying?

She stiffened as her mate's smooth arms wove their way slowly around her waist. She felt Bella's chin rest against her shoulder and her lips graze her right ear lobe. She shivered in response to the simple contact then shuddered in response of the implication.

"If you think you're going to butter me up and convince me that my body is telling me wrong then you can forget it right here and now."

"I'm not trying to make you do anything, darlin. Just listen to me for a second okay?"

"I'll listen if you listen."

"Agreed," Bella said. Alice could hear the smile that came upon her lips when she finished.

"The faster we get out of here the faster we get to New York and the sooner we can finish this. I want it done, sugar, not just for my father but to be done with it all so we can start this new existence together. I don't want to spend an eternity locked in battle with that witch."

"A few hours won't change that—"

Bella hissed lowly and Alice halted her words. They'd agreed after all.

"I'm guessing we'll have to take the train. It's our fastest means of travel besides running and we can hide in the compartments all the way there with no trouble. It'll be easier if we board at night so that we don't have to worry about waiting for a cloudy day to show up."

"Done?" Alice asked.

Bella nodded against her, dragging her chin slowly across the base of Alice's neck. Her chest shook and a rumbling noise began to rise from within and escape between her parted lips.

Why was she fighting her again? For a second her reasoning was lost. She felt something about the Tavern…something terrible about them going…an angry patron perhaps? No, something worse. Bella's nimble fingers trailed down her side and the rumble became louder like a growl but sounded more delicate than a hiss.

She wished she could know more fully that something bad would happen. Something more than a feeling would be more than enough to convince Bella of the dangers that lurked just ahead of them. Tangible evidence, something she could show her.

"You had something to say, darlin?"

Bella's voice was more like a ringing in her ears than the clarity she'd become used to in their time together. She'd come to know each delicate vibration of her vocal chords. The same could be said about the way everything felt. Her vision blurred so much that she felt nauseous. Was it something she ate? Was Bella feeling the same way? Her first thought was a human one that made her laugh. Her second had her squirming against strong arms to be sure that the worst hadn't happened.

Bella's voice was all she had to hold on to as the world slipped and slid around her in a dizzying dance. Every sense became too strong for her to bear and her mind flicked from absurdities to flashing lights. How funny for her to collapse like this. The first vampire to faint during an argument with her mate.

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><p>Alice didn't like the tavern.<p>

The décor was quaint enough, small tables, short bar and barstools, grey paint and wooden floors. The thick furniture was wooden too but cracked and worn with protruding markings of their years of use. The mugs weren't clear and donned a hazy film of soap that Alice was sure someone must have tasted at one point. Upon entering she took a silent poll to see if anyone else had noticed but decided that the patrons were too drunk and boisterous to care. Their loud guffaws were a mark of their intelligence in the same way that the way vampires hunted was a show of their civility. Alice discounted them immediately. No threat, no chance, and besides that they pumped blood and could die at her hands in the blink of an eye.

She could still taste the drifter from earlier and relished in it as a way of prevention of undue harm to them. They needed to blend in as much as possible. Twenty-five dead bodies would not be blending in. Bella approached the bar, leaned against it on her elbows, and smiled endearingly at the young bartender. A quick look told her that he was much too young to be the innkeeper himself.

On top of her general dislike of the patrons the main issue the provoked her overall hatred of the place was the odor it carried like a championship pennant. The smoky musk scent was like a thick blanket that had curled around her. No matter which way she turned she'd breathe in the odor and feel the urge to vomit. Food was being served alongside liquor to the men of the town.

It seemed none of them saw fit to take a bath in between work and their little hangout. To boot they'd taken a certain liking to Bella that Alice couldn't ignore. She could see it in their eyes and the way they narrowed as their gazes slid down her mate's backside. It was as if they could undress her if they squinted just a bit harder.

She'd taken to nibbling on her lower lip to keep her mind occupied. If she focused too hard on the men and their crass way of speaking of her mate and their wandering eyes she'd lose it and bleed each one of them dry. Briefly, she imagined going about it in a more creative manner. Breaking the legs of the men and forcing them to watch her rip out the throats of their friends all the while making sure that they knew she was coming for them.

Bella's shoulder bumped into hers and Alice withdrew from her fantasy to look up into burgundy eyes that betrayed Bella's mirth.

"Stop that or you'll start growling at them. That will be the real shocker of the evening," Bella admonished. Alice rolled her eyes. Bella was trying to get information out of the bartender and was doing a fantastic job of glamouring the daylights out of him. Meanwhile, Alice was charged with watching the door and keeping an ear and a nose out for trouble. While they hadn't sensed any vampires in the town upon their arrival it didn't mean they weren't akin to coming out of the woodwork at nightfall. It also didn't meant that Maria's human spies weren't at work somewhere nearby.

It just so happened that due to this arrangement between her and Bella, Alice had to be more than aware of the town's men and their lustful chatter. Most of which was about her mate.

She tipped her head back and glanced at Bella and her progress. The overhead light fixtures shone down on her mate's face, casting a golden glow across her usually pale skin. Alice's breath hitched and Bella turned slightly and winked at her. If an undead heart to could race Alice's would be bursting out of her chest.

"I'd give her something more to smile about," the first voice and it's accompanying round of laughter sent a dose of anger straight through her. It raced through every limb and she trained her eyes on the culprit in hopes of depositing her anger on its rightful target. The voice belonged to a man who looked to be in his twenties. His blonde hair was cropped short against his skull and his green eyes hungrily drank in the voluptuous form beside her. Bella leaned forward on the bar engrossed in something the bartender was saying and it appeared to be all it took for the man to rise from his seat and start his drunken jaunt towards them. Alice's back straightened and her fists clenched.

What a presumptuous fool!

She watched him amble over and light a cigarette when he reached them. The smell on top of what she already inhaled was enough to make her wish she could vomit again if only for the moment.

In the millisecond that he'd stuck the cigarette in his mouth and reached out towards Bella Alice convinced herself that if his target had been anywhere but her mate's ample bottom she'd have been fine and let the chips fall where they deigned. The odds, it seemed, weren't in the man's favor. Alice's hand darted out and crushed his thick wrist in an instant inciting a pain filled shriek from the man.

"You touch her and I'll rip your heart out and spoon feed it to you," Alice hissed at him. He whimpered and she chuckled before flicking him into the nearest wall, which happened to also house the hearth, and watched him shriek when he came too close to the fire.

Behind her, Bella growled and Alice turned in question just in time to see the bartender on the phone. Initially she was nonplused at the idea of the police barging in. With the mood she'd caught it would be a piece of cake getting rid of them. Then she smelled them. Three vampires were at the door and snarling at them. Bella urged her to get out but her final words were cut off by a fourth vampire blurring out from the back and barreling straight into her.

Bella's body was in pieces in one second and in flames in the hearth in the next. Alice's chest burst open in pain and could still hear the screeching of metal and the horrified screams her mate made when she was yet again forcibly taken from her life. Darkness came next with an ear-splitting screech and a dull thud.

* * *

><p>Alice had never thought she'd need to breathe in any amount of air again but she couldn't seem to get enough of it as she clung to Bella as if she'd never let go.<p>

"Shhh," Bella's voice was like a balm over a painful wound. She still quaked against her but the frenzy she was experiencing died down immediately after she recognized her sound.

"It's okay, Alice, just come back to me, baby. Please just come back."

Bella's arms worked themselves over her back and her hands moved in soothing motions. Why was she still here? How could she still be alive?

Alice shuddered at the still too fresh sight of her lifeless pieces burning. It set off another round of sobs that Bella worked tirelessly to cure. Her eyesight cleared up bit by bit and as she expected them to be in the tavern she was surprised to find that they were still on the rooftop over looking the place she'd just seen as their death house.

"What happened?" Alice asked when she could see clearly. She drew back slightly and found that they were sitting on the rooftop and she was in Bella's lap with her arms and legs firmly encircling her waist and neck.

Bella pushed a stray strand of hair from Alice's eyes and held her closer. "I was about to ask you the same thing."

Alice moaned and laughed at the same time which mingled together sounded like strangled hysterics.

"I saw, I can still see, I mean…oh God, Bella please don't go down there. We have to leave, now."

"What are you on about?" Bella asked in a harsh whisper that Alice appreciated more than she could say. "What happened? What did you see?"

"I saw…" Alice's words broke off.

"Look at me," Bella commanded softly. Alice complied and saw the concern and love she'd taken to silently questioning staring back at her with an intensity she wasn't quite ready for.

"What. Did. You. See."

"Death," Alice croaked out. "Yours and maybe mine."

"How?" Bella asked but Alice knew she was already aware of her gift. It had been one of their very first conversations albeit a brief one at the time.

Alice tried to look away. She'd been avoiding the subject for fear of what it actually meant for her. Something new and more confusing than this life itself. Something else she'd have to learn to control and manage. Something that could be used against them if they were ever caught.

Alice hissed when Bella grabbed her chin and forced her to look at her.

"I am your mate, Alice. There's nothing that you can't tell me."

"You remember when I said I saw us meeting when I first woke up?" Alice asked. Bella nodded. Alice rested her forehead up against hers. "I can see the future and maybe more."

"Oh!"

"We have to leave, now," Alice insisted.

"But—"

The scent was faint when it hit them, and grew stronger by the second. Someone was coming and by the speed in which they were traveling Alice was willing to bet their lives that whoever it was wasn't friendly. Bella's warning growl confirmed it.

"Dradis."

"Who?"

"Tracker. You're right, let's move!"

As soon as Bella yanked Alice to her feet they were off like gunshots into the nearby forest. Alice had only managed to keep up with Bella's hand gripping hers. Her mind was lost in what had just happened and what it would mean for them if they survived the night.

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><p>AN: A teaser to whomever gets the hidden BSG reference towards the end of this chapter! Good hunting! Leave me some love, guys! It's like a dark chocolate Godiva truffle after a bad day. :)


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry for the long wait. I can go ahead and promise you now that the next chapter is ready to post so you won't have to wait for weeks on end for it. The reason is because this chapter almost ended up being roughly 24 pages long. I just kept going and going and then I realized that I had about three chapters on my hand rather than just one. So I decided to break it up which I'm sure some will appreciate.

I also wanted to say that I've been a very bad author. Yes, yes I have! A very gracious reviewer mentioned recently that Bella and Alice should watch themselves lest someone catch them on a cell phone camera. Immediately I balked and started fussing about how obviously this particular reader hadn't read very well and didn't know what they were talking about! This story begins in 1920 and hasn't yet gotten to modern times and so there aren't any cell phones for them to be caught on! So, I stewed for a couple of days about it and went back in to re-read the first few chapters and to my utter embarrassment I realized I hadn't made it completely clear that this part of the story is set in the 1920's when Alice was first changed. So, to you dear reader thank you for pointing that out! I'll be going back in the next few days and fixing this problem by adding date markers. In my defense I think I had been so dead set on keeping the amount of time passing as much of a mystery to the readers as it was to Alice and Bella that I got a little carried away with not including the date and time. Once again, I apologize and I hope this hasn't ruined the story for anyone. If it has I hope you'll forgive my egregious mistake and give the story another try.

With that said, I'd like to thank everyone who has kept up with this story and reviewed and alerted. It really warms my heart to see that people are enjoying this story as much as I am enjoying writing it!

Happy Reading!

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><p><strong>Autumn, 1920<strong>

Alice had to admit it. One of the best things about being a vampire is that tired isn't a word in any sort of existence. She didn't need sleep, she didn't need to rest, and her muscles never failed her. She pumped her arms bursting at an incredible rate next to Bella as they bounded through the forest. They'd been at it all night and to their own detriment, both the sunlight and a seemingly large city were beginning to appear. Alice huffed at the significance.

Bella had been worried they'd be caught in the sunlight if they didn't plot their train ride up north and board before dawn. Now it seemed they'd have no choice but to circle the city until nightfall. The time wasn't what bothered her. It was the new obstacles that presented themselves in the form of warm bodies with curious eyes. Someone would have to notice glittering beams bounding about the outskirts.

As they neared she could hear several voices talking all at once and cars honking.

"We've got to get rid of him before we reach the city!" Bella called to her over the roar of air between them. Alice nodded and stole a glance up at the heavens. If there were anyone up there she hoped they'd hear her prayers and fill the sky with clouds.

At least they'd be able to board a train without too much suspicion. At that point they'd be able to plot their next move and let the train do the running for them. The tracker wouldn't be able to make a scene without risking exposure. The humans had just become useful for something other than food.

Alice snapped left at Bella's sharp head jerk. They'd begun moving as one with little to no vocal contact between them for directions. The next bend was a right and would take them straight towards the city. Alice took the turn before Bella could intone the direction. She didn't have to look beside her to know that her mate was beaming with pride.

Their tactics were a lost cause in regards to the tracker. Their gained miles turned into short yards with his ability working at full force. Alice just hoped that he wasn't as good as Bella seemed to believe.

She stole a quick glance at her mate right then and admired the grim determination she found there. Her usually soft features had hardened under the stress of their situation.

"We're getting closer," Alice reminded her. Bella growled in response but Alice took no offense to it. She felt like things were going to turn out all right but was unsure of how that would happen. The chase appeared to be never ending. They would bank left and almost at the exact same moment Dradis would follow. It was as if he knew their moves before they could decide themselves.

"What are we going to do?" Alice asked.

"We can't stop him, not completely, Dradis' gift is enough to kill us both."

"What can a simple tracker do? He just hunts things at extreme precision right? Nothing too terribly life threatening."

"Dradis is special. His tracking is a little more than just being able to find you. Once he lays eyes on you he's able to sense your instincts as if they were his own. His hunts are deadly because he can predict your move almost before you make it."

"Why can't we just kill him?"

"No fire. The best we can do is delay him but you're not skilled at all and although I can't smell any of his friends nearby I won't risk him getting to you."

"So what's the plan, Bella?" Alice asked, side stepping the comment about her skills. Now was not the time for that argument. " Are we going to keep running until the very unlikely moment that he trips?"

Bella chuckled darkly. For a moment Alice could only hear the grass snapping to life beneath their feet and the dismemberment of branches and twigs as they flew around them. The ever-constant roar of air funneling past her ears gave way to the unsettling meaning of Bella's silence. It was very likely whatever she was planning was going to be something Alice despised.

"I have to use my gift in a way that's not very pleasant. It's draining and will leave me fairly incapacitated. My shield, when used offensively, can be unpredictable and uncontrollable. Plus it might leave you unprotected once I've used up all of my strength."

"As if I can't take care of myself," Alice grunted through a leap that sent them bouncing off the bark of a row of trees.

"This isn't like anything you've ever dealt with. If Dradis gets his hands on either of us it's the end of the line. I won't leave without you and you won't leave without me. All roads lead back to Maria then."

Alice growled. She knew she wasn't going to like this. They landed on the soft turf already in motion. She had to remind herself that this wasn't like their first encounter with Bella's past although the similarities were jarring.

The feral growl that tore through her echoed softly between them. Bella didn't trust her to be able to take care of anything on her own. Her mate didn't believe that she could protect them. The slight cut deeper than anything she'd felt. She closed her eyes and swallowed back her indignant growl. Things had changed. They had and she had no time to wait and question the matter at hand. She needed to believe that things were different or perish.

"You don't know what he's like. Not really. Maria and Jasper trained that army to be ruthless killers without a shred of mercy to call upon in battle. He'll destroy us if he gets to us."

"I know this isn't the time to complain, but maybe, just maybe this is an example of why I need to learn what you know."

"Never," Bella said evenly.

"But—"

"Not now Alice!" Bella hissed.

At the risk of snapping back Alice kept her mouth shut to the burgeoning growl. It wouldn't help them now.

"When I use my gift, you'll have a couple of seconds to get to him and tear him apart. Go for the head first, it'll disable him the quickest. Use your teeth at his neck."

Alice nodded, not once questioning whether or not they'd be all right. She hated not questioning, not pushing for more answers, and somehow had begun to wonder if she were meant to question. As Bella's mate, she knew the woman would never put her in harms way without a safety net, it would go against her very being. Once again, the bond made itself known and terrified her into the feeling that Bella's devotion was a mating thing rather than just for her.

"I'm ready," Alice said. Bella smiled at her as if their lives weren't just on line, and they were truly alone.

It filled her with courage and a growing need to survive more for Bella than herself. What was she without this woman? The smile was gone in an instant and replaced with vibrant greenery. Alice whipped around to stare at her mate who stood in a small clearing, covered in dirt, hair matted; looking every bit the wild woman she'd initially met.

Alice didn't have to see her face to know that her teeth were bared because her own lips had pulled back to reveal her own. Anger pulsed through her. This man intended harm on her and her mate. If it were up to her, he wouldn't live to see another second pass by.

He was on them faster than she expected. Her muscles acted instinctively at his approach on Bella. Alice was moving in time with Bella's motions. She watched her mate's arms swing out in front her as if casting a net over the side of a boat. The air around them charged in a way Alice was unfamiliar with. It wasn't exactly electricity but it was a change that sent her nerves on edge. Dradis slowed down but didn't stop. As he got closer his movements became slower. Momentary panic splashed across his pale face as he finally came face to face with Bella, crouched down, ready to tackle her to the ground. Except he wasn't. Alice tilted her head to the side acknowledging the slight shift in his prospective path. His body had curved slightly to the left and if she didn't know any better she would have believed he wasn't about to attack Bella but her instead.

A slow hiss crept forward from his parted lips and for a moment it appeared incomprehensible. As it continued it's sluggish audible path one word escaped that threatened both Alice and Bella's concentration.

"Alice!"

His body stopped and in the same instant that Alice arrived at Bella's side. Bella drew back slowly then threw all of her weight into a powerful punch. From what Alice could tell it seemed she was using the force of her shield as an extension of herself. His body flew backwards nonetheless and ground deep in the dirt as it did so. Alice watched Dradis slam into a tree and lie still.

"Alice, go now, "Bella whispered. Alice glanced over not expecting to see her mate on her knees and clutching the ground.

"Tear him apart."

Alice was conflicted but followed the order without any more hesitation. She blurred over to the fallen vampire and attacked at his neck, where several hairline cracks had already started to heal. She bit down, surprised at how easily her teeth slid through his hard skin. With both hands on his head she twisted hard and decapitated him quickly to the sound of a broken vase.

She held his head in her hands and smiled grimly at the semi-permanent perplexed look. The hairline cracks across his cheeks entranced her so much that a bubble of amusement formed in her chest and burst forth shortly after.

"I can promise you this Dradis, if you follow us your end won't be quick. I'll never allow Maria to take her. You can count on that."

His mouth dropped open and closed for a few moments as if trying to communicate with her. Alice frowned then glanced back at Bella, who was holding herself up with one arm and smiling weakly at her.

"Should we question him?" Alice asked. "He seems to have something to say and how did he know my name?"

Bella glared at the head of Dradis and shook her head. "Katyana must have told them about you. Maria knows you're my mate, now."

"Do you think he was trying to get me to get to you? Why though? He could have taken us both down if you hadn't used your talent. Why now?"

"I'm not sure," Bella said. "It's pointless to question him. He's very loyal to his mistress and always wanted Jasper's role in her army."

"So he's her right hand man now?" Alice asked alarmed at the prospect. Bella gave her a weak shake of the head.

"That's Charles' position. She needs him to remain tied to her and that position is another way to do that. Dradis is more than likely still her own personal pet and he'll do anything for her including taking her secrets to the grave."

"So what do we do with his body?"

"Bury it in pieces," Bella's whisper was barely audible and Alice let out a concerned whimper.

She forced herself to the ground and dug quickly. She dropped his head in the small hole and covered it up. She then set herself to work on his limbs. She braced her foot against his body and ripped off his arms experiencing for the first time the utter glee at causing such pain. This wasn't for sustenance but for survival. He'd come for her and the woman she was bonded to and they'd won. He deserved to die but luck was on his side today.

Alice took care to separate the limbs by burying them miles apart. The body went into the ground even further away from there. His head was the last to go into the ground a few miles opposite of the body.

She let her pull guide her back to Bella who'd finally collapsed weakly into a pile of freshly fallen leaves. If she hadn't been so concerned, Alice would have marveled at the hues and each band of color that reflected off of the dew that remained. It was autumn. When had the summer come and gone? Alice couldn't tell. Time once again proved to be elusive to her understanding.

Alice turned Bella over and gently rested her head in her lap. Upon inspection, she discovered that shadows lurked underneath Bella's now coal black eyes. She wanted to scream at her for doing this to herself, burn Dradis for causing the problem, and do what ever it took to make it right for her.

"What do you need?" Alice asked, wrapping her arms around Bella.

"So, thirsty," Bella said hoarsely. Alice was shocked at how easily she'd been drained. She glanced around hoping to find someone, anyone to drink from. Alone in the forest, they had little chance of finding an easy kill. At a loss she finally just listened.

The wind blew, the leaves rustled, and Bella grabbed her hand and squeezed letting out a soft sigh as she did so. She wouldn't fail her. She tried again, closing her eyes this time as a human fall back to enhancing her senses. It was worth a try. She perked instantly when a heartbeat sounded. It was so faint that Alice had trouble figuring out if it were dying or just incredibly far away.

Gently, she maneuvered her arms around Bella so that she could easily lift her. Once she was on her feet she cradled her mate's slender form and followed the rhythm. She ran with a surprising amount of effortlessness. Bella wasn't jostled once. Her one and only movement was wrapping her arms around Alice's neck.

The gesture had moved her and provoked her all at once. Heat began to form in the place her hands touched. The crook of her neck felt as if it were on fire with the smallest brush of Bella's lips. She wasn't kissing her, just touching, but it was enough.

She ran faster as the sound became louder, the audible thump and squish driving her forward almost like a woman possessed. The heartbeat was strong and healthy. Perfect.

When the rhythm became nearly too loud Alice stopped and laid Bella on the ground, stalking forward. Her mind cleared so that only the hunt remained. She stepped slowly, quietly; deliberate in her choice of direction. There was no room for error.

She found it fortunate at first that there was no clearing. It would be easy. Nowhere to run, just a quick snap and Bella would be all right. She inched forward side stepping a tree and listening to the thick squish that she was after. It quickened and slowed at the right pace to beckon her. And then, something growled. Alice burst forward and found not a human but a black bear staring at her.

Alice growled. It growled back. The surprise wasn't entirely welcome but grew on her as she circled the animal. The irony was nearly too much. The situation was indeed similar to before although Alice was sure Bella wasn't faking an injury to get her out of the way. She glanced in the direction of her mate wondering if her theory from months ago would be proven false or true.

"There's only one way to find out," Alice murmured. The bear did smell tempting. Not as good as a human, not even the criminal in the alley. It was as if the scent were just a fragrance or two shy of her ultimate meal.

The bear lunched for her, swiping with its large paw and missing her entirely. She was on its back in one second and wrapping her arms around its neck the next. As it shook violently in an attempt to throw her Alice snapped it's neck. It slumped and she slid down. She ran and carried Bella back to its waiting body.

Kneeling at its side she held her mate's face to its furry neck and urged her through soft whispers to drink. Bella made no move to do so. Alice panicked. Was she too late?

She leaned forward and tore at the bear's soft flesh and into a vein, resisting the strong urge to drink from him herself, then held Bella's face to the free flow of blood. As soon as the first drop of blood drifted across her lower lip Bella's mouth attached to the open vein.

Alice crowed joyously and stroked her mate's back while she drank. A moment later Bella pulled back and licked her ruby red lips until they were pale again.

"Alice?" Bella's voice was still hoarse. "I saved a bit for you. I know you must be at least a little bit drained."

A quick look at Bella's face told her that her mate wasn't entirely sated. Her eyes had changed to a murky brown but the shadows still remained. She needed more blood and Alice couldn't take that away from her.

"No, you need it more than me," Alice insisted. "I'll get something before we get to the city, I promise."

Bella shook her head and the hard set of her jaw and the determined look in her changing eyes told Alice that there was no room for argument. She felt a grateful flex of emotions surge through their bond. She'd taken care of Bella and now the other woman was trying to reciprocate.

"Together?" Bella offered in compromise. Alice sighed needlessly then gave in with a curt nod. They both descended on the bear, Bella to the already open vein and Alice to one that had been left untouched.

It tasted human although not quite equivalent, more bitter than sweet, but strengthened her just the same. Alice pulled back after having only taken a taste and allowing Bella to consume the rest.

When they were both done Bella collapsed back against her and Alice took note to the disappearing shadows.

"That," Bella began after a moment of peaceful silence, "was terrible."

Alice laughed. "See if I hunt for you again."

"Thank you," Bella said nuzzling closer to her and smiling lazily. Alice ran her fingers through her hair easing the passage each time by lightly untangling the wild snarls that had taken root between the strands. Somewhere between the time she started and the point in which Bella's hair conceded to her aid a rumble reached her ears. Softer than a growl and nearly as tender as the lightest of touches it captivated her instantly.

It was mollifying and rooted her to her spot. Her strokes became more leisurely and even her posture seemed to relax. The source of the miraculous calm reached up and slid the pad of her index finger from the hollow of Alice's neck to her chin. There she grasped Alice and pulled her down for a kiss. It was innocent enough at first and had Alice's mind spinning marvelously fast. She inhaled the dual vanilla and cherry scent slowly savoring the well-defined clarity that came with it. The blood that still remained on her mate's tongue intensified everything.

"More," Bella growled softly when they broke apart.

She spun around in Alice's arms so that she was sitting and pulling Alice into her lap and wrapping her arms around the smaller woman's waist. Alice's fingers tangled in her hair curling around the locks until she held them tightly in her fists. The simple sensation of soft strands brushing against her skin piled onto the growing need.

They kissed again and abandoned the soft sweetness for harsh and otherwise bruising hunger. Alice pushed harder against Bella almost crushing herself to the woman's chest in desperation. Bella's hands combed her back from shoulders to waist. She yanked at Alice's tucked in blouse, almost tearing the fabric in two to get to Alice's flesh. When her eager fingers reached their destination Alice moaned at the contact.

Somewhere in the vast landscape a twig was snapped, forcing their attention to the offensive noise. Their heads both shot up and swiveled from left to right in an attempt to gain an answer for the sound. The sniffed and listened at once hissing together at the scent of blood and the rhythm of a beating heart nearby.

They looked back to each other acknowledging each other's presence in an unusual space in their lives. Instinct pumped through them urging them to go after their prey but there was something else there now, under the surface that they both had trouble recognizing.

Bella leaned down and captured her mate's lips in a tentative kiss she punctuated with a single word.

"Together."

Alice nodded. They were off. The surprise of finding the buck took a back seat to their thirst. The hunt as they knew it to be had changed. Bella took down the body while Alice snapped its neck. They attacked the veins on either side of the slender throat and sucked deeply, watching the other with a mix of desire and excitement. With the deer spent they took time to lower it to the ground and lick the blood from each other's chins.

"Alice?" Bella asked out of concern. "Your eyes."

Alice looked up at her and balked. Bella's normally red eyes had changed to a deep, dark gold. They almost looked human. They raced back to their deposited bags at Dradis' temporary gravesite. Alice rummaged through hers and retrieved a small circular mirror she'd taken from the house where they'd stolen the clothes.

She held it up to her face and hissed at the reflection. Her eyes were a murky brown with flecks of gold.

"How? Was it Dradis?"

Bella looked over her shoulder getting a tiny glimpse of her own dark gold irises. She gasped. "I thought it was a lie!"

"What?"

"The blood, animal's blood. It changes us."

"After the bear your eyes were a dark brown."

Bella nodded. "Hmm. It might make it easier to blend in with the humans."

"But it tastes horrible! I'd only use it as a last resort for sustenance."

"It tastes sweeter when I drink with you and the bear tasted better than the deer."

"It smelled better, too," Alice remarked. She wrinkled her nose and absently began smoothing out her hair; it had been combed back at the house and since had ruffled.

"I'm not sure how much the eye color changes. Edward once said that before Jasper he and his family had golden eyes. I'm not even sure how much you'd have to drink to get to that—maybe by making it a regular diet."

"Do we even have that sort of time?" Alice asked. Bella shook her head in response. Their eyes for now would have to do.

"It'll help when we board the train at least. We can keep to ourselves until we reach our destination provided neither of us eats a whole car load of people."

Alice lifted her head and turned to look at Bella. "Everything will be fine?"

Bella grinned. "If we get out of here. I'm sure we've missed the earliest train. I was hoping to start the day off with the least amount of people. This is a busy time of the day for humans; they have work and school, and will be out and about in droves. We'll need to change our clothes."

Alice glanced down at her blood-splattered blouse and pants and sighed. She'd been doing so well before. Nevertheless they both stripped down and ruffled through their previously discarded satchels. Bella managed to produce another pair of riding pants and a plain white, long sleeved blouse, while Alice simply had _the_ dress.

Bella smirked but kept her comments to herself. Alice mentally berated herself for not thinking further ahead. The fringed beads slapped together as she slid the dress on over her head and pulled it down to cover her hips. The hem hit just below her knees and the fabric, although still loose, did a sensational number on her skin. She'd never give Bella the satisfaction of knowing how perfect the dress felt or how excited she was when the sown in silk slip brushed across her sensitive areas. Alice simply shrugged.

"Those boots are conspicuous."

"The boots are a necessary evil," Alice countered. "Besides, I didn't pack anything else."

"I did," Bella said. Her mischievous smile made Alice's stomach flip. Nothing good ever came of that look.

Bella dug into her satchel and pulled out a grey hat with a bowled top and flared bottom. It looked like a ladies top hat.

"It was just beginning to come into fashion when I was turned," Bella commented. "I don't remember wearing one but I was sure it'd look good on you and perhaps cover your eyes a bit."

Alice took it from her and slid it over her hair. Bella retrieved the small mirror and held it up. Alice giggled and delightedly played with the brim of the hat, flipping and curling it to her satisfaction. Bella had thought of her. Really thought of something she might like.

"Perfection," Bella murmured.

"Thank you," Alice said. She twirled for a moment, enjoying the way the dress' colorful beads fluttered out. When she stopped Bella looked somber.

"We need to go," she said and Alice grudgingly agreed.

While she was sure that Dradis wouldn't be up and about anytime soon, it didn't mean that he didn't have friends waiting on him somewhere. Her earlier vision saw more than one vampire destroying Bella. There had to be some truth to the scenario even if it didn't come to pass.

They set off towards the city running just as fast as they had been when Dradis was after them. Something told her that the moment they just shared would be their last for a while. Internally she mourned. How much time had they had together that was ripe for these moments? How much time had they missed in their beginning? Now they were headed straight for danger. Tension built in her as she ran and she watched Bella's shoulder muscles tightened reflexively as though she shared the exact sentiment.

She hoped for once that they were both wrong.

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><p>Okay guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Depending on how work goes this weekend I might be able to post as early as late Monday night. I don't have any Easter eggs for this chapter but if you drop a review I'll send you a teaser for the next chapter to hold you over.<p>

Also, in light of my recent mistake I'm wondering if anyone would be willing to beta for me. I could really use an extra pair of eyes for things like continuity. If anyone is up to it please PM me and let me know! I'd really appreciate it! I can pay you in cookies! :)

As always feedback is greatly appreciated. It helps me learn and keeps me going.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and alerted! It brings a smile to my face when I see that people are enjoying this as much as I'm writing it. Small warning, there's slight citrus somewhere down there. Also there's a description of non-consensual sex. I'd hope that by now if you've been reading diligently you'd know that rape does play a part in Bellice's psyche and won't just be mentioned then completely glossed over as if it didn't happen. Their incidents will be questioned, examined, and hopefully brought to a resolution that involves healing. If this bothers you then I advise you skip the latter half of this chapter and wait a few days for the next one.

I don't have much else to say today because to be frank today was a shitty day. Like shit on top of shit type of shitty. A little R/L note I'm trying to finish up my second B.A. right now while working full time. It's a little harrowing and I did know what I was getting into when I signed up for it but it doesn't stop it from making me cranky. Anywho! I hope you guys had a much better day than I did! Happy Reading!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. SM does. I know it. You know it. We should be good, okay?

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><p>The city ahead turned out to be Atlanta. Bella said it meant they were in the state of Georgia and only about a ten-hour train ride from New York State. It also turned out that they were later than they expected. The last morning train to the northern state was pulling out of the station just as they'd arrived. They managed to chase it down and stow away in the luggage compartment car with relative ease. Less than ideal but at least there weren't many humans to tempt their thirst.<p>

Bella slumped against the wall nearest to the only window in the compartment car while Alice took a seat on top of a sturdy looking brown suitcase. She felt heavy in a way that had nothing to do with their meal.

Bella glanced at her and let an easy smile slide across her lips. Alice melted instantly feeling an intense but vaguely familiar giddiness. They were alone and en-route to their destination without any foreseeable hindrances. They both slowly smiled at one another.

Alice stood and went to her kneeling at her side. Bella lifted an arm and pulled her close. The melding of their clothed bodies gave Alice a thrill of excitement. Bella stroked her cheek with her free hand.

"Is this as alone as we're going to get from now on?" Alice asked. Her chest rumbled persistently when Bella pressed her lips to her forehead.

"No, darlin' I promise it won't," Bella murmured against her smooth skin. Alice quivered in anticipation.

"You made a promise," Alice said in a singsong voice. "The world must be about to end."

Bella chuckled. "I take it back—"

"No-no, Bella. I'll hear none of that."

Bella sighed and bowed her head in resignation. Alice tipped her head up to look into Bella's new eyes. They seemed softer than she'd ever seen, less harsh but just as beautiful. She wondered what it would be like to drink animal blood on a more regular basis and how much they'd both change if they did.

Alice shifted so she was resting between Bella's legs with her back to her chest. They sat like that for hours feeding each other comforting words and loving sentiments. She took the time to memorize the bite marks on Bella's hands while steadily trying to not succumb to the sweet feeling of the other woman's lips tracing the delicate curve of her neck. As much as it still angered her that the marks were there to begin with the scars were just as much apart of Bella as her scent.

She wondered what life would hold for them. Soon they'd be with the others and entrenched in a conflict she knew very little about. The outcomes were endless and as she imagined it there was an uncomfortable amount of uncertainty as to where they'd be when the dust settled. It was an intense feeling that drove her instincts to search her mind for how she could possibly find out for herself. So far the only key to her visions was a traumatic event. Could she see now if she looked? She didn't want to sacrifice their serenity for such a simple desire.

"What's the matter, darlin'?" Bella asked, her accent coming out with her concern.

Alice began to apologize but Bella shushed her instantly.

"You tensed up. What's on your mind?"

Alice sighed. So much for tranquility. "My visions."

"Ah, those. I'm sorry we haven't had much time to talk about your talent."

"It's alright," Alice said.

"No," Bella said firmly. "It's not. I've not been very attentive."

"Well, we have time now," Alice said. "Let's talk."

"What was your first vision?"

"Of you on the ledge. The second was…"

"The roof top?"

"No," Alice said. Her voice trembled unevenly. "Not the second, not even the third or fourth."

"What do you mean?"

"When I saw you attacking the bird in the vision I kept willing myself to see something different. I felt like I knew that there had to have been a better outcome."

"So you forced yourself to see, is that it?"

"Right," Alice said. "The first one was rather involuntary though."

"Well, there had to have been a trigger," Bella said.

Alice swiveled around and crossed her legs one over the other. She rested her elbows on her knees and her chin on her closed fists. She then shut her eyes thinking back to her very first moments of her new life.

There was the street and the man and then her feeding. She had just begun to wonder who she was when everything shifted. She remembered mostly intense emotions after that until she saw Bella at the institute.

"Anything?"

Alice huffed in frustration.

"What do you remember?"

"Awakening, feeding, and emotion, blinding crippling emotion. I was confused and angry. Angry at having been left there to die and at you for killing the bird. I wanted information about who I was but there was no one to tell me."

"So… you searched," Bella said and Alice nodded.

"I thought about it, tried to search my murky memories and then the vision happened. Then I kept wishing for something different. My talent must have complied!"

"And you hadn't had one since those first few? Not until the rooftop?"

Alice bit into her lower lip and gnawed carefully for a moment. She looked up at Bella's focused expression and resolved not to tell her about the memories that had potentially been triggered by her talent. Guilt surged through her.

She hadn't lied to Bella, not directly at any rate. She wondered how the other woman would react but then recalled her own reaction to Bella's past in Maria's army and decided instantly to keep her mouth shut. This wasn't the time to rehash her past. They'd have an eternity for that and Alice wasn't too sure she wanted to be too close to Bella when the other woman found out just how damaged she'd been before she was turned.

"No, not until then," Alice said finally. "I had a bad feeling and wanted to see what would happen and I did."

"It must be triggered by your thought process. It would certainly explain why you hadn't had one for so long."

"I wasn't exactly thinking about the future while I was away from you. I was always in the moment thriving on the lack of knowledge and trying to forget…you."

Bella sighed and hung her head. "I'm sorry."

"I know—me too," Alice replied. Bella rested her elbows on her knees and Alice took hold of her forearms massaging the impossibly smooth skin with her fingertips. Alice shifted again so that she rested against Bella's chest once more. The older vampire wrapped her arms around her small frame and held her tightly until they both began to purr contentedly at the level of contact.

"At least we've figured it out," Alice said. "I have to actively search for what could happen."

"Yes. I feel like it's only the beginning, sugar. Obviously it's not absolute otherwise I wouldn't be here right now. I would have found a way inside that Inn and been toast."

Alice shuddered while she relived the memory.

"I'm not going anywhere, Alice, count on that."

"Promises…"

"That, sugar, is an absolute truth."

Alice smiled and realized that already without hesitation she'd accepted the statement as fact. Bella would not leave her. Through her ear splitting grin she continued their conversation unable to keep the light, airy, singsong quality from her voice.

"So, what you're saying is that everything I see is a possibility but is not inevitable. It's based on other variables."

"Like decisions," Bella supplied with an electric smile of her own to accompany her words. They were both grinning foolish vampires at this point.

"Because we'd decided to not go into the Inn we're both still here, unharmed."

"Right."

"Ugh, can vampires get headaches?" Alice asked. Bella began massaging her scalp.

"No," Bella said. "But this feels good, right?"

Alice purred in response.

"We should practice," Bella said. She glanced at the window and saw the sun perched high in the sky. "I'd say we've been on the train for may be five or six hours."

"How much longer until we reach New York?" Alice asked. She sighed heavily when Bella's hands moved from her head to her neck then made a trail further down her back. She tilted her head back and angled herself so that she was only a hair away from her mate's gorgeous features.

"Probably another five hours," Bella murmured. "It's not a lot of time but it could be enough. Try to focus on something or someone and see what you can find."

Alice took a deep breath and closed her eyes again. She tried to focus on the train and found only wisps of air. She groaned slightly then relaxed as Bella worked her muscles into a relaxed state.

Alice decided on trying something more specific. Someone close. She concentrated and soon felt weightless. She focused on Bella and her future. She knew from the start that this vision was different than the others. Whereas before she felt as if someone had knocked the wind out of her everything was calm. In her mind she was traveling down a tunnel at an incredible speed.

She stopped when she arrived at the end of the tunnel stepping out onto a moonlit field. Two bon fires had been set up on opposite ends and two vampire armies stood before each, snarling and growling their malcontent into the night. Alice moved amongst them not knowing any but feeling drawn to the front of the crowd. This army was smaller than the one just ahead. They were just as spread out but the side she was on held sparse numbers in comparison.

She passed by a statuesque blonde in the second row holding hands with a behemoth of a man. As she stepped around the pair she noticed the woman's radiant beauty curl into a concentrated effort that appeared to consume her from head to toe. She broke physical contact with the man and stepped forward to the front line directly to the left of a small slender woman that Alice quickly recognized as herself.

She watched herself acknowledge the woman briefly before turning back to the open field. Beside her future self stood Bella dressed in all black with her hair pulled back and an uncompromising expression upon her face. Next to her was a tall, blonde, scarred man with a deadly smile. Bella smiled grimly and glanced down at future Alice who grinned back without an ounce of worry on her face.

"I'm sorry it's come to this," Bella said to which future Alice snorted derisively.

"You and your apologies. This is just a speed bump to our happily ever after."

"I'm still not buying you that car Alice," Bella said teasingly.

"If we make it out of this, you'll buy me whatever I want," Alice said. "I've already seen it."

"Whatever happens today, I'll be right behind you," Bella told her, lowering her voice to settle barely above a whisper.

Alice nodded, sobering up for what was apparently soon to come. The scarred man turned to them then and asked if they were ready. With twin curt nods they acknowledged that their time was up. Bella kissed Alice's forehead then stepped forward with Jasper. Alice watched them meet a slender olive skinned woman and pale faced man in the field and could hear their growls and snarls from her spot beside her future self. She tore her gaze away from the meeting to momentarily inspect herself. Her hair looked far neater than she could ever remember it being, styled even. She wore a navy jacket and black pants and her riding boots, which looked like they'd been to hell and back. Her hands shockingly boasted several scars and from what she could see, a single bite mark on her neck that she touched affectionately. Future Alice was reserved, hardened, and had obviously seen a battle or two. Alice wondered what would have occurred that would have forced Bella to teach her how to fight. The instant her thoughts shifted, the field was gone and she was being thrust down the tunnel again.

This time she landed in the middle of what appeared to be a makeshift arena set on well-kept farmland. There were raised seats and the green turf had been turned into squelching mud but she was there on the sidelines. Once again it was a very different Alice before her. She too was reserved but the scene felt different to her. This Alice was crouched low at the ground, her face set in a hard expression of anticipation, as if she knew what was about to happen and was ready to spring.

Jasper, cool and collected strolled across the Arena to meet Bella in the middle. A few others she didn't have names for stood by the sidelines. He took her face roughly with one hand and shook her hard.

"Don't mistake the feeble skills you learned in her camp for the finesse she possess' after centuries of practice. If you want her dead and you want to keep Alice safe you'll only have one shot. Don't fuck it up by being arrogant."

Future Alice hissed when he roughly let go of Bella's face by shoving her backward then stalked a few paces away. Alice felt like ripping him apart for having touched her at all. Future Alice seemed to be right in line with her as she let out a deep growl.

"Can it Alice! This doesn't concern you," Jasper snarled at the crouched vampire. Future Alice bared her teeth and clutched her fists. Her eyes weren't on Jasper but on Bella who appeared to be purposefully avoiding her gaze.

Jasper stopped at what appeared to be a marked spot.

"What do you do when your attacker comes at you head on?"

Without warning Jasper was sprinting forward and future Alice was ready to spring into action.

Bella just smiled. "Hyper vigilance, because if it's an experienced fighter it's usually a distraction."

Alice watched a white blur dart out onto the field and come towards Bella's back. Bella narrowly flipped out of the way as the blur was now headed for Jasper. Just as quickly as Bella had moved the blur adjusted it's path and barreled into future Alice blindsiding her completely. They kicked up dirt as they fell then emerged as captor and captured. A man with bronze hair and a cocky grin held Alice's arms together with one hand and had his other arm wrapped around her throat. Future Alice let out a shriek of anger but stilled instantly at the silent threat. One wrong move and she could be decapitated in seconds.

Across the field Jasper had laid Bella out on the ground and sat atop of her back with his hands on either side of her head forcing her to watch her mate resist the urge to struggle at being so close to losing her immortality. Bella roared Alice's name and the bronze haired man released his hold and let Alice drop to the ground. Once freed Alice went on the offensive. Each attempt ended with her flat on her back. The man was too fast and could see her attacks coming far too easily. She let out a shriek of rage.

"You can't be everywhere at once," Jasper said quietly. "The one thing Maria is counting on is for _her_ to be unprepared. Will you deny Alice the chance to survive out of your own selfish need to be her protector?"

He removed himself from Bella's back.

"That's not the reason, why," Bella told him springing up instantly. She ran to Alice's side and held her tightly against her chest whispering apologies for not heading off the attack.

But it wouldn't be like this forever would it?

She was thrust back into the tunnel again for a brief moment. Then all she could hear was the rumble of the train and the rattle of the suitcases around them. Alice gasped as if the extra oxygen would help shake the numbness away. Bella shushed and whispered soothing words of comfort into her ear. It was hard to not mistake it for another alternate reality. When she opened her eyes it became all too clear that this was most certainly the present. The suitcases were the same, the car had its familiar stale odor, and her hands were clear of any scars. She still touched her throat where she'd seen the two marks at the battle and was partially relieved to feel nothing but smooth skin.

"Are you alright?" Bella asked her. Alice nodded but would never let on that she was actually shaken up. Her visions were becoming clearer, more real and defined. She'd never had so many at once at that length.

"What did you see?"

Alice stiffened. "What if what I tell you changes everything?"

"I guess we'll have to take our chances. We can't exactly stop making choices because it might change the future."

Alice mulled it over for a moment before relaxing and walked Bella through her visions. The battle scene had Bella's interest piqued.

"So it does come down to one big battle, then. Or, at least it potentially does."

Alice hated that her visions didn't seem to be concrete. Any moment one of them choose to do something different that would result in a new outcome. It was infuriating. What good was her talent if it weren't accurate? She could be leading them into various states of danger by trusting in visions that were subjective.

She rubbed her temples. "There's more. While I was viewing the battlefield I wondered what would have provoked you to allow me to fight."

"Wait, you were there on the field?" Bella said. She sat up straighter at the new revelation and turned Alice around to look at her. The panic in her voice and in her eyes was shocking. What was Bella so worried about?

"I was right next to you, I had scars on my hands and neck. I'd obviously seen a fight or two."

"No," Bella said firmly. "It can't be allowed."

"Why not Bella?" Alice argued. "Someday you're not going to be there to defend me and my gift doesn't protect me beyond maybe knowing or not knowing when an attack will come! How is this in anyway your decision?"

"Because you're my mate! I don't want you anywhere near danger! I don't want you anywhere remotely close to Maria. Especially now that she knows about our bond."

Alice scoffed. "Some bond. What did you think would happen when we reached New York? Did you really believe I'd stay behind while you went off to fight your battles?"

Bella didn't answer. She crossed her arms and looked towards the window and the passing foliage. Always calm and methodical. Alice wished for a moment she could get inside her head and figure her out.

"I've lost my father to Maria's control. How quickly do you think she'd grab you up, too, if she had the chance?"

"How much faster would it be if I didn't know what to do if I saw her? And what makes you think that she wants to take me anyway?"

"Dradis."

Realization dawned and Alice scrunched her nose at his memory. "You don't think it was merely a ploy to get you on her side?"

"I don't think it's as simple as a quick ransom for your life. Maria is changing, has been changing for years, and her newest goal is to acquire a more powerful—specialized army."

"Come again?"

"Talented vampires. Like Jasper and us. Once she realized what having Jasper on her side could do for her she began to cultivate others we've since tried to liberate. She wants invincibility and a whole talented army under her influence is just the way to do it," Bella said. "That means if she knows you're my mate then she probably knows about your talent. You'd be her own personal crystal ball."

"Why can't we just run then? Forget about the war, Jasper, and this whole crazy thing! There'll be no danger and nothing to fear—"

"She will always find us," Bella said sharply. "Look what's happened since we met! She's sent not one but three of her best soldiers after us and she'll keep sending them! We have to end her for good. Not just for my father but for us as well. I'd rather face her than be hunted down like a dog."

The mental image was too overwhelming to dwell on. Alice turned to look at her and took her face in her hands.

"If you think for one second I'm going to let you go up against her by yourself then you must be out of your damn mind," Alice spat out angrily. "I'm going to be right behind you whether you teach me to fight or not."

Bella growled and clutched Alice's wrists tightly. "Look at me Alice. Look at these scars. Do you want to end up like me? In her camp to be used at her will? Would you like to know how it feels to be tortured into loyalty?"

Alice hissed. She would not be guiled into staying behind. Anger welled up inside of her at Bella's attempt to manipulate her into thinking she knew best. A few more months in this life didn't make her the expert. It had made her jaded and guilt-ridden and would be the ultimate death of them both.

"Tell me Bella, how will you feel when you realize that you could have given me a chance at survival but yielded to cowardice instead?"

"You're treading on dangerous ground, Alice," Bella said. Her eyes held such hostility that Alice knew would have sent most anyone else running. Instead it set her on a sharp edge that had every inch of her body tingling. The rumbling vibration of Bella's warning growl travelled from her fingers to her toes and sent a thrill of excitement down her spine.

"Let me paint a picture for you, "sugar". I'm watching you fight from the sidelines when some nameless immortal runs over to me and takes me down. He plants his foot in my back and rips off my arms. Can you hear the screeching of my bones snapping loose? Can you smell the venom that pours out of me as he removes my legs? Try to imagine my short lived scream as he grasps my head and twists."

"He'll never have the chance! No one will touch you," Bella said through gritted and bared teeth. Alice's wild woman was alive and well.

"Why? Because you're so skilled you'll be able to be in two places at once? You're not that talented Bella!" Alice said.

She bounced her last taunt off of her tongue as if they were notes to the happiest song in the world. Bella snapped her teeth and snarled at her and in one fluid motion removed Alice's hands from her face and knocked her backwards into the nearest wall.

The car rocked unsteadily once with Alice's impact and twice when Bella followed. Alice was on her feet and hissing in Bella's face before the other woman could say another word. They were so close that Alice could feel the harsh caress of Bella's breath on her cheek and the press of her full frame against her, pushing her petite body into the wall firmly in the sort of challenge Alice couldn't back down from.

Alice felt as if her skin were vibrating from the inside out. The slow smirk that spread across Bella's face tickled her and pulled a short laugh from her throat.

"No," Bella said.

"No?" Alice asked slowly.

"No," Bella repeated. "Those aren't the reasons."

"Then tell me why all powerful Isabella Swan."

Bella leaned forward until their foreheads met. Alice nearly sighed at the skin contact. She could feel Bella's hand trail up her side and pass so perilously close to her breasts that she had to stop herself from automatically arching into her. Bella's path ended with her fingers grasping Alice's chin in a painful grip that made her dizzy.

Alice couldn't say whether or not she had ever desired anyone in her previous life as much as she wanted Bella right then. She knew for a fact at this very second if she had to choose between blood and Bella there would be no contest between the liquid gold and the intoxicating brunette before her.

"Because, you're mine, Alice. No one has the right to touch you but me."

Her voice was harsh and uncaring. It brought a smile to Alice's face and a resounding growl from deep within her. Bella wasn't the only one with a need to show ownership.

"And you're forgetting that you're mine, as well," Alice responded with just as much menace. If Bella hadn't seen how unbreakable she was yet then she'd have to show her.

Soft and deadly hands cradled her head and urged her forward. Their lips met briefly in a gentle brush that both mollified and invigorated them. Alice whimpered and Bella moaned. Both dove back in for more crashing together and hungrily claiming what was each only theirs to possess.

They grasped each other where they could in a race to see who could remove the most clothing. Although Alice managed to shred Bella's blouse, Bella won in a single swipe at Alice's dress.

Alice was a snarling mess by the time Bella's lips had reached her neck. Her mate had gone back to gripping her chin and turned her head to the right so that she had more access to the silky skin she craved. A vicious shiver overtook Alice when Bella drug her sharp teeth across her collarbone. The pressure on her chin relocated to her hips as Bella lifted her up so that they were completely face to face and Alice had her legs wrapped around Bella's waist. Alice attacked Bella's lips and neck scraping her teeth against the slight curve that led to her chest.

"Mine," She growled into the cherry and vanilla perfumed skin.

Bella shuddered against her. Alice pulled back to admire her mate's state of arousal only to perpetuate her own desire and need aiding to the pooling moisture she felt below. Bella's lips were parted slightly and with no blood to rush to them they remained pale yet pouty as she leaned forward hungering for more. Electricity crackled along her skin where Bella grabbed her thighs and inched her further up the wall. She pushed them flat against the metal surface.

"Stay," Bella commanded firmly, igniting another head to toe shiver in Alice that she alone seemed to be the only one capable of creating. Alice locked her muscles and found it to be easy enough until she felt Bella take one of her nipples into her mouth while simultaneously trailing her hands from Alice's torso to her narrow hips. They moved closer to her core causing Alice to buck impatiently.

Bella made her way back up to Alice's lips. Her sultry smile infuriated Alice as she recognized just how fully Bella had her right there against the wall. Her body was trembling with anticipation and her heart would have been hammering hard in her chest if it were possible for it to beat at all. Nimble fingers rocked against their intended target sending her back arching away from the wall.

"Mine," Bella punctuated the word with a kiss that swallowed Alice's moan. Pleasure beat against her skin, throbbing at a steady rhythm that made her feel as if she were falling. She broke the kiss and slammed her head back against the wall. Her muscles flexed and gave until only Bella's weight against her was holding her up. She wrapped her arms around Bella's neck and tangled her fingers in her heavy tresses.

"Tell me Alice, who do you belong to?"

His voice overrode Bella's, seeping through her thoughts like a heavy evening fog. Everything turned ugly and she was lying on her back at the asylum, shackled to a bed with the scratch of blade like fingernails slicing through her thighs.

"_If nothing else, you'll remember this," he said to her before he simultaneously entered her and bit into her neck. Her terror was forever caught in her throat as the fire consumed her. _

Alice screamed against Bella's shoulder that rendered them both immobile.

Bella gently pulled Alice's face away from her shoulder. "Alice? What's wrong?"

"Need to get out," Alice said quietly then repeated it in a shout when Bella didn't respond. Bella stepped back, allowing her the room she needed to lower her legs.

"What happened Alice? Did you remember something?"

The moment Alice's feet hit the floor she shoved away from Bella. Everything was thick and heavy, the air, her body—she needed fresh oxygen and although she knew she couldn't suffocate it didn't stop her from feeling as if she'd collapse if she didn't get out of the train car that instant.

"Shit," Bella whispered.

Alice turned from her and slammed her fists against the back door of the car. The steel yielded to her and fell easily against the outside railing then onto the tracks below. The fading sun hit her face in small bursts and the wind whipped across her granite skin in the same way it did while she ran. She inhaled the cool air and sighed heavily. Her hands gripped the railing and bent it instantly into her palms. Her legs itched to move further. Her chest felt as if it would break open if she didn't start running. His voice reverberated in her mind denying her any sort of peace and sounding so real she could almost feel his presence beside her.

"_You__'__ll __remember __me.__" _

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><p><em>So, tell me what you think! Like it? Love it? Hate it? Feedback is love and will most certainly brighten my day. As with the last chapter reviewers will get a teaser for the next installment! Goodnight folks!<br>_


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Yay another update! As the semester winds down and commencement approaches I'll be more able to just come home and write rather than pass out the moment I sit down on my bed. So, throughout the holidays look for more updates and perhaps some side/back story to our newly introduced characters. I'd written some one shots a little while back to get a grasp on the characters before we got to them and I'm thinking of sprucing them up and posting.

If anyone is interested in the one shots about Jasper and what they've been doing all this time in New York with the Cullens and Denali's then let me know and I'll get to posting them after the next update for this story.

Also, I'm still looking for a beta if anyone is interested in helping me!

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><p>"Alice!"<p>

The voice sounded so distant and yet Alice could feel the warm arms encircle her waist. Her body felt as if it were on fire. Panic crushed her. Where was Bella? Were they both already ash? Had Maria caught them?

She jerked around haphazardly, flinging her limbs in all directions in an attempt to turn and gain some perspective on the situation. His voice rasped to her, slowly capturing her attention and holding it prisoner.

"_You will be mine, always." _

"No!" Alice cried and swung her fists forward towards the voice. "Never!"

"_Always,__Alice.__" _ The voice reminded her. _"__You __will__ remember __to__ whom__ you__ belong.__" _

"Bella!" She screamed helplessly.

Smooth circles were being run into her skin soothing away the tremors that wracked her small frame. She shuddered once more before the fire receded and she realized that it was Bella holding her tightly against her chest, cradling her. Her fingers stroked Alice's hair and neck and her lips pressed against Alice's forehead whispering words of guilt, shame, and concern. It took Alice a moment to connect each word in a sort of coherent sentence.

"Please, no. Please be alright," Bella whimpered. Alice realized her mate was shaking just as hard as she had been moments ago and wondered if it were possible for Bella to take on her pain. She listened to Bella ramble on for what seemed like hours—crying, pleading, and praying to God for the simple pleasure of talking to her again.

"I'm here, Bella. I'm alright," Alice said in a surprisingly hoarse voice.

"Oh!" Bella pulled back to look at her, cradling her face between her palms. Alice didn't think it were possible for Bella to muster the amount of fear Alice saw etched on her face. Her eyebrows had risen up her forehead and her eyes were wide with terror. Her full lips pressed together in a firm line as she gauged for herself Alice's current state.

Satisfied with the result she smiled and to Alice it was as if the sun were shining and the world was right again. The space between them felt too great and she fell forward into her mate's arms and curled herself into a ball in her lap. She rested her head on Bella's shoulder and nuzzled the crook of her neck.

"What happened?"

Alice sucked in a deep breath, inhaled the sweet cherry and vanilla scent, and let the calm crash over her. Bella's fingers resumed their earlier ministrations further enhancing Alice's smooth transition from anxiety to tranquility.

"I don't know," Alice said and felt wrong for telling the immediate lie. Bella stiffened against her.

"I'm sorry," Alice said. She felt Bella nod.

"It's okay," Bella said.

"No, it's not."

"When you're ready, you'll tell me."

Alice sighed. "Do you ever feel connected to Jasper in the same way you're connected to me? Can you feel him?"

Bella hummed for a moment. "I do, but it's a different connection. It's like a faint nagging feeling I get when he's near. I can sense him and find him if I need to and I used to be drawn to him when I was first turned. If anyone threatened him I was fiercely defensive and powerfully opposed to any harm coming to him."

"And now?"

"It's like I said, those emotions have dulled now that you're here. I don't feel like I need to protect him at all costs because I guess deep down I know I could live without him. If someone ended him completely I know I wouldn't self destruct."

"It's more like a strong kinship?"

"Yes, that portrays it perfectly. Strong, but not unbreakable."

Alice nodded and with a heavy sigh relaxed in Bella's arms. Contentment replaced her fear and anxiety.

"I do need to know one thing."

"Yes?" Alice said uneasily.

She hoped she could actually answer Bella without bringing her pain. She guessed it was the mating imperative but the thought of Bella being hurt by her past caused a greater ache in her than the facts that swirled around in her head. Alice ducked her head. She wasn't worthy of this woman's comfort or concern. She didn't deserve Bella's trust. She was the liar now despite the remorse she experienced.

Bella deserved better and Alice had always assumed that she was. It crossed her mind that this was probably what her mate had felt when she initially used her shield on her. Protection was the first and foremost thought Alice had when it came to Bella. It must have been the same for Bella.

"What happened out here wasn't something that could ultimately bring us both harm was it? Think carefully, darlin'. I can wait for the details of your memories but I can't keep us safe if there's something coming after us that I don't know about."

Alice's teeth tore at her lower lip. The question was too deliberate and intent on the truth. She couldn't answer her without telling her all that she had seen. A nagging feeling gave her the sense that telling Bella everything would bring more trouble than they could handle. Besides, for all she knew she was only remembering her final moments and her sire wasn't trying to contact her—if he even could. Bella gingerly separated them so she could look into Alice's eyes. The gentleness ripped Alice's insides.

"Please, darlin."

Alice shook her head and swallowed her cowardice in an effort to not speak and give herself away. Bella nodded then glanced up at the sky, which had grown darker as time passed them by.

"We're almost there," she said then looked back at Alice. "Let's get inside and find out if there's anything of worth in those cases."

"No one heard?" Alice said, peeking behind her mate as if a human would poke out and see them right there and then. Bella shook her head.

"There must not have been anyone on the cars in front of us. We got lucky. C'mon."

Bella scooped Alice up and carried her inside. Alice's mouth flew open in protest then snapped shut at the look of adoration in Bella's eyes. She was spellbound and aroused in an instant. Bella chuckled as she stepped through the doorway and sat Alice down on the nearest upright case.

Bella rested her hands on Alice's knees and errantly ran her thumbs across Alice's bare skin. The result of which was a deep rumble from the tiny vampire. Alice glanced over Bella's shoulder and took in their earlier destruction. She lowered her head.

Bella tipped her chin up and their gazes met. Alice spared another look at the dented wall and then shifted in place as the warmth between her thighs came rushing back. How she could still feel the way she felt while knowing how she had been created confounded her. Simultaneously she didn't care. The primal need from before still beat within her demanding that she finish what she started.

"What happened between us just a while ago? Was that another…you know…" Alice asked. Bella's eyes lit with the same type of hunger Alice had witnessed hours before.

"…mating thing?" Bella finished for her. Alice crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged.

"It figures," Alice spat. "Will our entire lives be driven by this?"

Bella gnawed on her lower lip and looked away from her. "You make it sound so terrible. I know things have never been easy or ideal, but is being mated to me that horrible?"

Alice shook her head vehemently. "Honestly, it feels horrible being mated at all. It's not you."

"What is it then?"

"Back there, I felt so primal. The need was so overwhelming it clouded my every thought. The need to possess you and be possessed by you."

"It's only natural," Bella explained. "Vampires are more animalistic than humans. It makes sense that our mating habits would be different."

"Maybe to you," Alice said. "This thing we have is so strange and so much larger than I think even you believe."

"Do you want to leave?"

"No!"

"Then what's the problem?"

"I wasn't in control!" Alice hissed. "It were as if—"

"What?" Bella barked.

Alice hissed and watched her mate recoil from her with remorse in her eyes. She reached out and grabbed Bella's arm holding her in place.

"It felt like someone else was inside of me. Some other thing was at the helm forcing me along with this urge to be owned and show ownership. That's not me."

"What if it is?" Bella asked. "And how can you tell who or what you are when you never really knew in the first place?"

"I don't know," Alice whispered brokenly. Bella didn't hesitate to run her fingers comfortingly through Alice's hair and Alice couldn't ignore the sadness reflected in her features. It all only served to make her yearn for Bella to never hurt or be left wanting of anything.

"I guess I'll never know. The only things I'm constantly aware of are my thirst and this love I have for you."

"Is that so awful?"

"I'd die for you, Bella. I know that as well as I know my heart doesn't beat and yet I know so very little about you. You know next to nothing about me. Our love seems to only stem from this archaic sense of ownership."

"I'm sorry that you feel that way," Bella said, stopping the slow and deliberate stroke of her fingers through Alice's soft strands.

She stepped back and gently shook her arm out of Alice's grasp. Alice let her go and silently cursed the never-ending ebb and flow of their interactions. It seemed that the longer they stayed together the less Alice became concerned with her own survival and more interested in Bella's happiness.

If Bella wanted space, she'd give it to her and shake off the irritation she felt at having to be apart physically. The thought process clicked more automatically now than it ever did before and she had no doubt it was because of this vampire bond.

That was perhaps the most horrifying thing about their mating. She knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that if it came down to Bella's survival and happiness she'd sacrifice herself without a second thought. It was compulsive and irrational but she knew it to be true.

She watched Bella's every motion from her side to the nearest suitcase she had decided to unlatch and search through. Darkness was their only other companion now and as Bella sifted through the items Alice marveled at how she could still see the soft outline of her jaw, which led to her inexplicably beautiful lips.

"I think I was what they called a 'tomboy' in my former life," Bella said abruptly. Alice nodded in encouragement and straightened in her position. She leaned forward and rested her fingertips on her knees.

"Most of it is a blur of images and barely recognizable experiences but I remember that I liked to climb trees and run through the fields of my family's lands."

"Maybe that's why you run so fast," Alice suggested. The music of Bella's laughter was infectious and soon Alice joined her.

"I'm no faster than any other vampire out there. Although there are some that are faster than average. Like, Edward for example."

"Ah, the mysterious Cullen who has lost his way," Alice said. Bella shook her head.

"I didn't want to create more conflict but I think Irina was wrong about that. Edward hasn't lost anything he wasn't meant to lose. He found his way just like Irina did, she's just too prim and proper to admit it."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Edward found his mate just as I found you and Laurent found Irina. Finding your mate changes you. I know that much at least. Laurent wasn't the nicest person before he found his reason for existence. I can't say I was the sweetest peach either.

"Oh, really? And what of Edward?" Alice asked.

"He's an anomaly as far as I can tell," Bella said following a very unladylike snort. "I didn't know him before he mated but from what I hear he's really no different other than the fact that he has a direction to run in now."

"Hmm," Alice said. "Who is Edward's mate?"

Bella's gaze swept up to the ceiling then settled back on Alice's face. Alice quirked an eyebrow.

"Maybe it's better we left that subject alone."

Alice laughed. "You must be joking? As if it's some big secret."

"I've been asked to keep it that way. In case someone overhears."

"You said it yourself, no one is watching," Alice said.

"Still, it's better left unsaid. You'll find out in due time," Bella said. "A mate is a powerful tool to be used against another vampire."

"Vagueness will not satisfy my curiosity," Alice stated.

"It'll have to satisfy you for now," Bella said.

"Shouldn't my happiness override this whole need for secrecy?" Alice prodded.

"Are you unhappy, darlin'?" Bella asked.

Alice smiled slowly and shook her head.

"Not at the moment."

"Good," Bella said then grinned.

Bella continued to dig through each case and unearthed enough clothing to last them for a year. She found a few slender pairs of blue jeans and ladies blouses. Alice even joined in and pulled out a couple of near form fitting dresses that made Bella's eyes drift up her frame lustfully when she modeled them.

"Beautiful. Although, I will say that I prefer what you've already got on," Bella drawled leaving Alice's mouth dangling open. Bella chuckled and moved along retrieving their satchels from the far side of the car.

"Maybe I should wear one," Alice mused.

"You'll want to wear something more lose," Bella commented. "If something happens and we have to get out quick it'll be easier to move in."

"Hence the riding outfit?" Alice replied. Bella nodded. Alice dove through a nearby suitcase and found a pair of blue jeans that had a decent fit and followed up with her boots.

She shuffled through her options for a shirt and quickly chose a white men's dress shirt that billowed more than clung to her.

"Here," Bella said and tossed her a black tweed jacket. Alice caught it easily and slid it on.

"Is that really necessary?" Alice asked. Bella nodded. She'd found similar attire in the form of black dress slacks and a white dress shirt. She watched her sweep her mahogany locks over her shoulder before shrugging on her own jacket.

"We're going to stick out based on instinct to the humans. We don't want to draw extraneous attention to ourselves and be followed. Plus the more clothing we wear the more our scents with be masked."

"How would Maria's people even know what I smell like?"

"They won't but with our enhanced sense of smell it isn't exactly hard for them to distinguish us from the humans. Our scents are more potent in the way that only another vampire could really tell what we are."

"Do you think there will be trouble?" Alice asked. She stuffed the remainder of her findings in her satchel including the cloche Bella had given her, which was gently placed on top of everything else.

Bella packed her things as well and took a deep breath before answering. She tied and snapped the bag closed before stepping closer to her.

"We've been exceedingly lucky so far," Bella said. "Too lucky."

"Well, Maria can't be everywhere."

"No, she can't. You've got that right, but if there's anything I know about that woman it's that she's resourceful. She'd find a way to keep up with us and I'm surprised to not have sensed anyone since Dradis. Not even during our…quarrel."

Alice chuckled and spared a glance at her dent. "I like quarrelling with you."

Bella took her into her arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Me too."

"So what's the plan? Are we going to blend in and exit with the other passengers?"

Just then the train's movement slowed. Bella shook her head and swung her bag over her shoulder. She took Alice's hand and they stepped outside once more.

"We're just crossing the state line now. Edward will be along here somewhere, anyhow."

"We're jumping?"

"They're probably expecting us to get off at the station and blend in with the crowd. Either way, we'll find Edward faster and avoid anyone who might be looking for us a whole lot easier."

Alice's gut twisted at the prospect. This was it. They'd made it to New York and soon they'd be with Jasper's army and then to where or what she didn't know. All she did know was that her gut didn't exactly like the idea of them jumping from the train.

Sure, they were indestructible but who knew what was waiting for them out there on the tracks.

"Trust me," Bella said shattering her train of thought. Alice looked up at her and instantly calmed. The twisting was but a faint reminder of her enhanced intuition.

"I do," Alice said quietly. They stepped up on the railing one by one and in a single bound leapt. Alice landed easily on the balls of her feet with Bella only a foot away from her. They turned and shared an easy smile before Bella's dissolved into a snarl.

"Alice, get behind me," Bella ordered harshly. Alice obeyed without thinking and hissed shortly to let her malcontent at being bossed be known. Bella sent her an apologetic look before turning back to the road they'd just travelled down.

Alice sniffed the air and discovered the burning scent of coal that faded away with each chug of the train. Underneath it was the scent of fresh pine and peppermint. The towering pines around them left only the minty extract to be their guide, which wasn't entirely necessary because it seemed to be shooting towards them.

"What is it Bella?"

Bella raised her arms and groaned with the effort of wrapping her shield around them.

"What do you think you're doing? You'll drain yourself!" Alice hissed. Bella shook her head.

"It's worth it."

"What's wrong?"

"Edward is coming and he's not happy to see me," Bella said through gritted teeth.

No sooner had she spoke than did Alice glimpse a white blur bounding through the trees. As he approached his pine needle scent was overwhelming as was the force of his assault on them. He went right for Bella, going low as to take her out at the knees and finish her off later. Alice growled deeply and readied herself in case Bella's shield fell. As far as she was concerned Edward would have no such luck.

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><p>Thanks for reading! Let me know how you're enjoying it thus far. The first leg of Alice and Bella's journey is finished and a new one has begun. What would you like to see resolved in the future? How do you feel about the progression of Alice and Bella's mating? How do you feel about Edward and Jasper being his mate?<p>

If anyone would like a preview of the next chapter then please leave a note in their review or PM me! The next update is done and just needs polishing. It will be up by Wednesday at the latest, no joke! If it isn't you can all throw tomatoes at me!

Until next time!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Update! Thanks for the reviews and the alerts! They really made my day! I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Happy Reading!

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><p>Edward screamed as he was instantly thrust into the nearest tree. Alice watched the tree crack under his impact and moved closer to Bella as he leapt to his feet again.<p>

Over and over he bombarded Bella's shield, seeking an entry that could only be made by Bella's weakened state. The latter wasn't that far off. His angry hisses and snarls came closer and closer and sent chills down Alice's spine. She didn't care what Bella had done to him in the past but his attack was draining her strength rapidly and that didn't sit well with Alice at all.

"He's still a little sore about our last encounter," Bella explained.

"Did you do something to him?"

"Not exactly, but he thinks I did and so that's all that matters to him."

"So, it's all in his head?"

"It's…ah…well…it's complicated."

"Alright," Alice said slowly.

Bella groaned and her knees buckled. She gradually sank to the ground with her arms outstretched towards the heavens keeping her shield up. Edward came at her head on slamming into her shield until she shrieked then slumped to the side. The blur was suddenly all man as he sped to her and yanked the brunette up by her collar.

His unkempt bronze hair sprung out from every direction on his head making him seem that much more pale. His livid red eyes gave away his anger but his intent was evidenced by the way he moved, deadly and quick to dismember and destroy. His body quaked with rage and Alice could tell from the cruel smile that slid easily across his lips he wouldn't be deterred by words. Bella in her fragile state didn't stand a chance.

A frenzy of emotion shot through Alice skipping the boiling process of anger and arriving fully and completely in the forefront of her mind at furious. She let out a fierce growl and had dropped into a low crouch before she even acknowledged the need for the movement.

Edward didn't budge. He drew back his fist and Alice leapt. She tackled him to the ground and wove her smaller body around his torso. With her arms around his chest she immediately squeezed.

Edward growled and hissed at her while struggling to get free. This only made her squeeze harder. His bones broke under the pressure and the audible cracks were sinfully sweet to Alice's ears. As far as she was concerned he'd never get the chance to touch her mate ever again.

"Alice," Bella said softly. She crawled over to them and placed her hands on Alice's shoulders.

"Alice, let him go," Bella pleaded softly. "You can't end him."

Alice hissed at her. "He'll hurt you again."

Even then, with Bella's presence known to them both Edward swiped at the taller brunette. Alice bore down harder until she heard another snap that elicited a howl of pain.

"He is Jasper's mate," Bella answered. "Let go, let me handle this."

Alice squeezed once more and Edward shrieked, heralding several snaps. He slumped forward and Alice finally let go. She eased back slowly and took Bella into her arms.

"No one touches you but me," Alice said to which Bella purred. She touched Bella's face, moving her head from side to side to check for injuries. Once satisfied she inspected the rest of her frame only stopping when she was sure that Bella was unharmed.

Beside them Edward moaned and used his legs to turn over on his side. Through his shirt they could see the bones protruding where Alice had broken them. Bella crawled over to him and took a look.

"Are you alright?" Bella asked. Edward roared back at her.

"How far are we from the compound?" She tried again.

Edward growled and took an unsuccessful snap at her. Alice darted forward and grabbed the collar of his freshly pressed shirt and lifted him several feet off the ground then slammed him back down.

"Answer her!"

His response was a strangled moan.

"The venom is repairing his wounds," Bella said. "Edward, how far away are we?"

"Three hour's run due east," he replied through short breaths. "Why you still want to go I've no idea. When Jasper sees what you've done… well, let's just say he's ended other vampires for less."

Alice dropped down so she was eye level with him. "The only reason you're still breathing is because my mate asked me to stop."

"Be advised little one. Your _mate_ only asked you to stop because she knows what would happen if she didn't," Edward snarled then let out a scream that lasted several moments at a time. It was then that she noticed the single set of bite marks on his neck, the only thing to mar his flawless body.

When the screaming stopped he sat up and clutched his chest protecting the ribs that Alice had crushed. Alice pulled back her lips in a snarl.

"Are you okay to walk Edward?" Bella asked. Edward glared at her and struggled to his feet still protecting his chest and midsection from another attack.

"If this is how Jasper Whitlock has prepared his mate I'm not so sure about following him into battle."

"Alice!" Bella snapped. "That's enough!"

Alice narrowed her eyes. How dare she defend him now! Alice crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head to the side awaiting an explanation. Bella shook her head.

"This bickering gets us no where," Bella reminded her softly. "Thank you for defending me."

Alice shrugged but smiled despite herself. "It was nice saving you for a change."

"And you, Edward," Bella stood and rounded on him. "I don't believe that Jasper would approve of your attacking me, mate or no mate. You were sent to take us to the compound not assault us without provocation."

"Provocation?" Edward said then laughed. "We have unfinished business, Bella. Or have you forgotten?"

Bella drew her lips from her teeth. "I am no threat to you, Edward. I have my own mate and am no way interested in your place in Jasper's life. If you had not attacked me my mate would not have felt she needed to defend me and cause you harm."

Edward glared at her. "We shall see then."

"Your jealousy is unfounded," Alice reminded him.

Bella sighed and Edward sent Alice an icy glare. Alice found herself focusing on Edward's narrowing eyes trying to imagine where all of his anger was originating. His glower transformed into a look of smarmy satisfaction that rankled her nerves. She crouched again prepared to defend herself and Bella when her vision dissolved and she crumpled to the ground in a heap.

Initially she thought it was another vision but when she saw the inside of a large, dirty, old tent with a blood covered Jasper seated in the corner she knew she was mistaken. This was the past she was becoming privy to and how she got there suddenly didn't matter as Bella was shoved through the opening of the tent naked and less marked than she currently was. Bella shuddered as she clung to the dirt and stared up at Jasper.

A growl worked its way up Alice's throat as Jasper dove for Bella and pinned her to the ground. He kissed her forcefully and ran his hands down her sides down to her backside. Bella groaned and lie stiff beneath him. She turned her head to the side and kept her eyes trained on the ground.

"Look at me," Jasper commanded. Bella complied and he had the decency to look apologetic for his harshness.

Jasper nodded and suddenly she was arching against him and kissing him earnestly. Jasper's hands grabbed at her bottom and squeezed inciting a moan.

It was sickening. Alice was sure it was impossible but her stomach felt as if it were twisting at agonizing angles. She watched Bella's fingers unclasp the buttons on Jasper's pants and eagerly slide them down his legs.

"Fuck," Bella growled. Jasper's lips trailed down her neck and had latched on to one of her nipples. One of his hands tangled in her hair yanking her head back as his free hand travelled south.

Alice shook her head and covered her eyes. This only served to enhance the sound of Jasper's growls and Bella's moans and pleas for more.

"I created you, no one will ever have you but me," Alice heard him shout. Even though she knew it wasn't true it still struck her fiercely. Bella's moaned response of submission hit her even harder.

"Yours," Bella whispered. The noises faded and soon Alice was back beside the railroad tracks staring at Edward's widened eyes.

"Now you know," Edward said.

"You saw them," Alice said hollowly. Bella helped her to her feet.

"And you've seen them as well. Try getting that sight out of your head. Imagine being haunted by more nights exactly like that."

"What did you do to her?" Bella demanded.

"Memories of my time spent in Mexico. The night I spent watching you an Jasper fucking in his tent."

Bella looked warily in Alice's direction. "Is this true?"

Alice heaved a heavy sigh but nodded anyway. Jealousy flared to new heights inside of her. Each time she closed her eyes she saw Jasper's hands on her mate's body and a form of mania began to consume her.

The only thing keeping her grounded was the knowledge that Bella and Jasper had to put on airs for Maria's benefit from time to time. It didn't lessen the stabbing pain in her gut but it did make her feel less murderous.

"I'm alright," Alice assured her. "It hurt to see it but I trust your word."

Bella visibly relaxed then turned on Edward. "How did you do that?"

"It's a neat new trick I've picked up from a friend of Carlisle's," Edward said. He smiled smugly at Alice's still dazed expression.

"I didn't know you were there," Bella said. "If I had known, if Jasper had known, we wouldn't' have—"

"What makes you think he didn't know?" Edward spat. "You think he didn't sense me standing behind the tent?"

"I'm sorry, Edward. Even still, you know it wasn't real! We didn't have a choice!"

"Yes you did, you could have given yourself over to Maria instead of masquerading as Jasper's little whore."

"Watch your mouth!" Alice barked having recovered from the after effects of Edward's new trick. "Don't make me tell you again."

Edward turned to her. "Don't mistake my abilities, little one. Next time you won't be so lucky."

"We'll just have to see about that, won't we?" Alice said. She might not be a seasoned fighter yet but Edward didn't seem to be too much of a challenge. Edward pushed the memory of that night into her mind again and Alice hissed.

He lifted his chin and smiled. Alice made to lunge at him again and Bella caught her around the waist and pulled her flush against her body. The action quelled her fury slightly. Alice huffed but stilled nonetheless.

"Enough!" Bella ground out. "Let's get moving."

"You need to hunt," Alice reminded her. She wrapped her arms around Bella's waist and Bella leaned into her.

"You can either hunt or follow me, I'm going home to Jasper whether you're behind me or not."

Bella rolled her eyes then shrugged while looking down at Alice. "I'll be okay to run for how long it takes to get there. We'll hunt together later."

"Promises," Alice reminded her. Bella chuckled

"Don't get used to them."

Edward sent them a hardened glare but turned his back on them and ran east.

"Well, isn't he a ray of sunshine," Alice said once they'd taken off after him.

"He's got his problems."

"I'll say," Alice said.

The run had Alice and Bella pushing themselves to stay on Edward's tail. Alice admitted to herself that he was just about the fastest thing she'd ever seen and her newborn strength didn't quite make up for her lack of pacing. She slammed her feet into the ground harder and forced her muscles to obey her need for speed. Edward was still yards ahead of them when he glanced back at her and smirked.

Alice imagined ripping his arms off and beating him with them. Or maybe she could take his legs as well and play a rousing game of find the body parts. She kept glancing beside her to be sure Bella was keeping pace and not lagging. Alice was worried for her thirst. The shield took a lot out of her and she was already running low on energy to begin with. She doubted she could face whatever they'd meet at the compound.

The whole situation made her uneasy. Jasper was Edward's mate and if he felt anything like she did about Bella he wouldn't be too pleased with the crushing of Edward's rib cage. Alice smiled. It had felt nice to be able to defend Bella for once and be the stronger and more capable party.

She glanced to the side and discovered Bella was a few paces back. She was weakening. Alice turned back and called at Edward's sprinting form.

"How much further?"

Edward shrugged. "Ten minutes!"

Alice turned back to Bella and noticed she was going slower than she had been just a few moments ago and was further back. Alice stopped and caught her around the waist.

"Do you think he's telling the truth? You can't last much longer can you?"

"I'm sure of it. I can sense Jasper up ahead."

"Do you think you could lead us from here?"

Bella nodded. Alice looked back to where she'd last seen Edward and wasn't surprised to see that he had gone ahead without looking back. He meant what he said. He was going home to his mate with or without them.

"Let's hunt," Alice suggested. "I could use it and I know you need to feed."

Bella chuckled. "Since when are you _my_ caretaker?"

Alice sent her a wry smile. "Hey, I like taking care of you, alright? Is that a crime?"

"It's…unusual for me. That's all. When Jasper left the camp I'd become used to taking care of myself."

"I could kill him for leaving you behind."

"It was all apart of the plan," Bella answered. "Besides, if he'd taken me with him when he and Edward departed I would have never had the chance to meet you."

"Touché," Alice surrendered with a groan.

"Animals again?" Bella half whined and asked. Alice nodded.

"It seems like our only choice," Alice said while glancing about. The wind picked up and they both caught the scent of a nearby heard of herbivores. Alice quirked an eyebrow at her mate then raced off in the direction of the smell.

Bella was right behind her and once the audible squishing rhythm of the beasts hearts were made known she pushed herself beyond her mate and let her instincts take control.

"Go," Alice encouraged.

Bella sprinted ahead to a clearing where twelve deer grazed amicably side by side. Bella leapt and bounded off of the trunk of a tree and dove onto the nearest one, snapping its neck and digging her teeth into the nearest artery. Alice was quick to follow even as the others scattered. She captured one; broke it's neck and then moved onto another. She caught four within seconds and drank from the last while Bella took one that she'd left on the ground. She moved on to the next and they shared the last one staring into each other's eyes as they drank.

They laid the beast down gently before Alice climbed over it to rest in Bella's lap. Bella accommodated her without preamble and stroked her hair. Alice deftly lapped at the blood on Bella's chin savoring the taste and letting out soft moans that caused Bella to grip her tighter with each stroke of her tongue.

"Alice," Bella said in warning. "I don't think we want to reenact our interesting train ride."

Alice let out a short girlish laugh and buried her face in Bella's neck, inhaling her wonderful scent.

"Bella? What were those marks on Edward's neck? Are they battle scars?"

"Jasper has marked him as his so that everyone will know and Edward will remember."

"He's his mate, I'd hardly think _he_could forget."

"From what I understand it's a status thing and although no two mated couples are exactly the same in their habits it shows that you belong to your mate and exists as a warning to other vampires."

"Once again with the ownership. I'm not an object!"

"I never said you were and you never will be to me. I won't mark you until you're ready."

"If you mark me at all," Alice muttered.

"You know, Alice there are some things we just can't help as vampires."

"I will be no one's plaything," Alice snapped. "If you mark me does that mean I obey you like a good little girl? Am I just yours to do with as you please?"

"You are already mine. Just as I am yours!"

"I belong to no one but myself," Alice said. She removed herself from Bella's lap and put enough measurable distance between them so as not to feel the pull as strongly. The moment it started to tug she stopped and mentally cursed it.

This life contained so many things she didn't understand and things she seemed to crave without really wanting. According to her memories she belonged to her sire as Bella once belonged to Jasper. Now she was mated to Bella and the ties were switched. She felt no loyalty to the man who had raped and turned her and yet Bella was still drawn to Jasper.

The mere fact that she felt anything for him at all sent wariness rushing through her entire being. She felt possessive and needy, submissive and dominant. She was powerful on her own but Bella somehow completed her so entirely that nothing made sense when she considered leaving her or Bella being the one to walk away.

Alice roared and slammed her fist into the nearest tree trunk. The measure of her strength was shown when the tree splinted and fell apart.

"If you do not belong to me then I am also not yours," Bella said coming to stand only a few feet behind her. "Think about that."

"I'm not changing my mind."

"You've switched your opinions so many times already, how can I not think you won't," Bella said. Alice could hear the smirk in her voice.

"You're wrong, Bella. Just this once, you are dead wrong."

"I'm going to the compound."

"Good, maybe Jasper will pat you on the head when you get there."

"Or maybe he'll rip off my arms for being the cause of his mate's pain," Bella mused. "Whichever, I suppose. He can do what he wants with me can't he?"

Alice sucked in a sharp breath.

"You'd never allow him to touch you," Alice stated haughtily.

"Funny thing about mates, Alice," Bella said, "their presence cancels out everything else. If Jasper feels Edward deserves justice, it won't matter who committed the crime of harming him. He will be on the warpath, darlin', make no mistake about it."

Alice gasped then shook her head. "I won't be tricked into following you around like some mindless silly girl. I have my own thoughts, as you well know."

"I know," Bella said. "Like I said, no two mated couples are exactly alike in how they come together."

"Would you like to mark me then? Would you like to let everyone know that I'm your possession?" Alice hissed. She rounded on her and tugged at the collar of her shirt, exposing the silken flesh of her neck. "Go ahead, sink in your teeth!"

Bella's eyes widened at the offer. Her trembling lips drew back from her perfect teeth displaying the clear danger she could present. She moved forward slowly as to not startle Alice. The gesture would have been sweet if her eyes weren't seemingly permanently fixed on Alice's throat. The petite woman's eyes fluttered closed as Bella's quiet foot falls came closer then stopped.

"I'm not going to pretend that marking you doesn't excite me," Bella said.

Alice felt Bella's hand cup her face. Her instincts quarreled her into a non-reaction. She was vulnerable, Bella could kill her, mark her, do anything that she wanted. Alice had opened herself up to that fate and now regretted her loss of control while accepting in her soul the certainty that Bella wouldn't hurt her. Arousal grew as Bella cradled her head and dug her fingers through her hair. The soft and cool rush of breath over the cup of her ear gave way to a shudder that had warmth speeding to her already moist core.

"It drives me utterly insane to think that we're heading into a camp full of strange vampires without you bearing my mark or I yours. It is for protection and a show of love and trust between mates. Soon, you'll see why it is necessary."

Alice arched into Bella, her body demanding further contact the other woman instantly denied. Alice whimpered and as a result Bella dropped an electrifying kiss on her exposed neck.

"I am not the enemy here. I'm never going to do anything to you without your consent again. Agreed?"

"Yes," Alice whispered. Bella wrapped her free arm around Alice's waist and crushed their bodies together. Alice moaned to her chagrin and arched against her.

"Someday, darlin', you'll beg me to mark you and you'll mean it. Until then..." Bella kissed then nipped her neck and stepped away leaving Alice to sway slightly.

"I-I-"

"Shhh," Bella murmured. "Let's go."

They took off again and Alice stayed close to Bella's side running in time with her. They reached the compound not too long after and slowed their approach to long human-like strides. The apprehension Alice felt earlier returned the moment they set foot on the territory Jasper had clearly marked as his. Sage, sandalwood, and a heavy musk dug deeply into her senses. There was no mistaking it and had she not been aware of the situation she would have had warning bells blaring.

Bella threaded her arm through Alice's and intertwined their fingers. She pulled her closer to her side as they wove through the maze like forest.

"This way," Bella told her. She pulled her further east and the scent was even more overwhelming but it contained more than just Jasper. It was clear that there were several other vampires here with him, too many for Alice to identify with just one whiff.

A set of scents was too strong for Alice to ignore and she locked her legs forcing Bella to stop as well.

"Someone is coming."

Bella smiled gently then called out, "Peter! Charlotte! Surely you still recognize my scent!"

A tall and broad shouldered man stepped out in front of them wearing slacks with his suspenders down and a long sleeved button down white shirt. The shirt had been rolled up to his elbows and displayed so many scars Alice wasn't sure she could ever count them all. His shortly cropped hair was mused with bits and pieces of grass and leaves sticking out between the strands. He held one hand out behind him and Alice assumed it had to have been a warning to whoever was with him to stay back. She immediately threw her guard up. If Bella knew him then he had no reason to be cautious.

"Evening Miss Bella," he spoke with a deep southern twang that would have been charming if not for the amount of apprehension in his tone.

"Peter, it's a pleasure to see you again," Bella said then peeked over his shoulder.

"Charlotte, you can come out now!" Bella beckoned.

Peter let out a warning growl that sent Alice into a crouch. "Not until you identify your friend!"

Bella gestured to Alice. "You have nothing to fear. This is my mate, Alice. She's a little protective."

"I've already met Edward," Alice said while still in her crouch.

"So you must be the reason he turned up in such a shitty state," the voice was sweet and just as deeply accented as Peter's. A woman of Alice's height stepped out to greet them. Her red eyes matched Peter's and her honey blonde curls tumbled easily over her shoulders. She wore a sundress that showed off the scars on her arms and legs.

"Indeed," Alice replied straightening out of her crouch. "He tried to attack Bella."

Peter's eyebrows rose. "Prissy little brat has finally lost his mind. Doesn't he remember the last time he tried to attack you?"

Alice hissed and turned towards Bella.

"Oh, keep your pants on, Alice. It was after our first rendezvous out of Maria's camp. He and I took a tumble off the side of a cliff in an Arizona desert. He lost an arm for his trouble.

"And what did he do to you?" Alice wanted to know. Bella shook her head and let out a small laugh.

"Just a few bites on my shoulders and arms. I got his arm just before Jasper broke up the fight."

Alice snorted derisively. "Did you beat him with it?"

"Alice!"

"I like her," Peter said between chuckles.

"You don't like Edward," Charlotte stated and Alice shook her head fervently.

"You'll fit in just fine on the compound," she said. "No none cares for him there either. Poor Jasper, to be mated to such a child."

"That little bastard has been the reason for most of our delays. If I could end him myself I would," Peter said.

Alice grinned at that. She hadn't even counted on finding anything in common with any of Jasper's followers. An unusual sense of camaraderie and familiarity filled her when she looked at the two people before her. She itched to know what the future had in store for them but held off because she needed all of her strength. If Peter and Charlotte were apart of Jasper's army she was sure things couldn't be that bad.

Bella laughed. "So are you on patrol then?"

"Just leaving, actually," Charlotte answered, dashing Alice's hopes with her words.

"Oh. Is Edward the reason?" Alice asked tenetaively.

Peter rolled his eyes towards the sky and Charlotte shook her head. "It would take a lot more than Edward to pursued us to leave our sire. No, he is not the reason, Alice. We're going on a recruiting mission in Canada. We've got numbers but Maria has more, we'd be foolish not to bring in more people."

"I agree," Bella said. "When I left she had just abolished her culling practice. She's taking no precautions and it also seems to be endearing her to her men. She's also putting all the blame for the prior culling seasons on Jasper."

Peter glanced back down at her and pulled back his teeth. "That fucking witch. I knew she was up to something. We had at one point been getting a few deserters for a few weeks. The numbers have dwindled."

"Now we know why," Charlotte glowered. "She's going to try and garner sympathy in the south with the other covens."

"How can she?" Alice asked. She threw at glance at Bella.

"From what I've heard she was ruthless with everyone, not just her own coven. Why would the others come to her aid."

"Maria is a master at persuasion. She'll use fear for most of them and her gift on those who'll come near her."

"It sounds like we need to up the ante," Peter said with a roguish grin. He was devilishly handsome and had the situation been any different Alice would have believed he had some bit of trickery up his sleeve. Then again, maybe there was no difference.

"We are due back in a month," Charlotte said. "You'll be telling the Major about your findings?"

"Of course," Bella said. "Your presence here will be missed. I had hoped to know more people."

"It won't be that long. Just keep an eye on Jasper and Edward and your mate. It was a pleasure meeting you by the way!" Charlotte said. Her eyes twinkled as she walked forward and wrapped her arms around Alice.

"Welcome to the family," Charlotte said quietly. She released her upon Bella's growl and Peter's hand being placed on her shoulder. Alice briefly noticed their identical throat scars.

"Peter has been telling me a great friendship is on the horizon for me. I hope it's you," she said cryptically. Alice stiffened. How would Peter know anything about it? She made a mental note to ask Bella later.

"I hope so, too," Alice replied honestly. She could use a friend. Peter grinned down at her.

"Watch yourself, little one. You need to keep your wits about you where Edward is involved. He's a little bit of a grudge holder. I should know," he said.

Alice quirked an eyebrow. "And what may I ask did you do to him?"

"Oh, everything I could do besides ripping off his limbs. Let's just say he's not sorry to see me go."

Peter and Charlotte stepped around them and held hands.

"Remember Alice, vigilance is key!" Peter called out as they ran together into the forest.

Once they were gone Alice turned to Bella and her amused smile. "What?"

"Nothing," Bella said easily. She took Alice's hand into one of her own and led her onto the property. Alice noted the patrolling guards stopped in their various places watching them carefully.

About two miles in a spectacularly large house came into view. If Alice didn't know any better she'd have thought it to be a castle. The stony exterior was flawlessly kept and Alice soon realized that everything was. The windows, which gleamed in the moonlight, showed no marks or cuts and even the lawn was carefully manicured. It wasn't what she expected at all.

They came to a cobblestone path that led to the front door.

"Really? We're just going to walk up?" Alice asked incredulous of the simplicity of it all.

"They're aware of our arrival," Bella said. "Come on."

She gave Alice's arm a little tug, which got her moving. They continued up the path to the front door and Bella raised her hand to knock. The door swung open before her hand could touch the wood. In the doorway stood a beautiful yet scarred man with golden locks that ended at his shoulders. His most prominent scars, twin marks at the base of his neck gleamed in the evening light. His eyes were livid and his hand that held the door open crushed the wood into his palm.

Behind him stood a very smug looking Edward.

"Would either of you care to explain yourselves?" Jasper ground out in the same heavy accent Peter and Charlotte and even Bella possessed. Alice glared hard at Edward. No doubt Jasper had gotten a version of the truth. Edward probably conveniently left out his attack on them.

Jasper's other hand crushed the doorframe in their silence. "Someone had better start talking!"

Bella pushed Alice behind her without the sort of hesitation required to think about her feelings on the matter. She drew back her teeth and snarled in Jasper's face.

"How about we start with how Edward attacked my mate and I instead of accompanying us here."

Jasper's eyes narrowed and settled on Alice. Fear consumed her. It crept up her spine and invaded her thoughts. She clutched Bella's hand and moved closer to her out of Jasper's sight just as the coldest sense of dread began its assault on her.

"You attacked Edward," Jasper spoke slowly.

"I-I-" Alice stuttered under the weight of her emotions.

"You'll have to pay for that."

"You won't lay a hand on her," Bella's voice was the coldest Alice had ever heard. It held a steely edge to it that erased the warm comfort she usually enjoyed. This voice sparked her arousal.

"And you're going to stop me? Stand aside!" Jasper demanded. For a terrifying second Alice thought she would simply hang her head and comply.

Bella stepped closer to Jasper and glared up into his face.

"If you think for one second I'm going to let you hurt her, you've got another thing coming Jasper Whitlock! That boy you call your mate attacked me and she defended her mate. There's no crime in that."

Jasper's eyes widened. "Your mate?"

"Yes." Bella hissed. "Mine. Your Edward would do well to realize that before he gets hurt again."

Alice peeked out from behind Bella to see Edward's expression deflate. He looked even more afraid when Jasper turned to him.

"Is this true Edward? Answer me!"

"Yes, but—"

Jasper held his hand up and turned from him with a look of grief crossing his beautiful features. "I apologize for the trouble. Welcome to Cullen Manor."

He stepped aside and Edward darted out of the room as they stepped in. Alice looked after his deliberate act of cowardice and shook her head. At least Jasper knew the truth now.

"Jasper, this is my Alice," Bella introduced her. Alice looked up at him and he smiled toothily.

"I'm glad you're here," he said. "I was hoping Bella would find her mate sooner rather than later."

"Aren't you going to go after him?" Alice asked. Pain flickered across Jasper's features.

"When I'm ready," he said resolutely. He scratched his chest then shook off the pain.

"Come along, I'll show you the grounds and introduce you to the rest of the Cullen and Denali family."

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><p>What did you think? Let me know and leave me some love! Reviews keep me motivated and brighten my day! :) Have a happy Twilight weekend!<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thank you again for all of your reviews and support! It truly warms my heart to see that people are reading this and enjoying it! I hope you like the chapter!

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><p>Alice had never seen a house as large as Cullen Manor. She hadn't even known houses could be this expansive or elaborately decorated. Throughout the brief tour of the lower level—the study, the unused kitchens, and sitting rooms—she couldn't keep from gasping at the detail that had been placed in every piece of furniture and lighting. She was transfixed with the simple elegance and even more interested in who could have decorated the place.<p>

They rounded the corner of the west study and Jasper stopped short of the door, his easy flowing conversation with Bella had ceased abruptly and the stiffening of his neck and the narrowing of his red eyes followed.

"We're here," he said and Alice strained her ears to hear anything beyond his words.

There were no murmurs to give away the people inside of the room, nor was there any sign of malcontent ready to embrace them. Anxiety filled her. She had met, more than once, vicious and angry members of their kind. Even though the Cullen and Denali covens were purported to be benevolent people she wondered how such peaceful beings could come into the company of one Jasper Whitlock and involve themselves in such a war.

She took Bella's hand and threaded their fingers delicately. Just when she thought her grip was too tight Bella squeezed harder and sent her a look of reassurance.

"I sense hesitation," Jasper said. "They ain't gonna bite ya."

"So you say," Alice replied. "In my short lived experience no one has come into this war without a stake. What's their story?"

"Well, Miss Alice, I think that'll be better explained by them," he said.

He smiled crookedly and Alice forgot for a moment that it was the smile of a man who'd decimated hundreds of their kind without a second thought. Then she imagined those lips on Bella's neck and the amicable feelings were rapidly replaced with wariness and jealousy. Bella squeezed her hand again as Jasper turned his back to them and led them into the study. For all of the opulent trappings of the house Alice found that at that moment she would have loved nothing more than to tear Jasper to pieces and decorate the walls with his venom.

"Alice!" Bella whispered harshly. Alice glanced up at her sharply. Had she spoken aloud? The look on Bella's face was more of amusement than horror and Alice decided that she must have done something else.

"This won't be a good meeting if you keep growling at them," Bella whispered. Alice nodded, having not even been aware of growling in the first place. She leaned into Bella's side as they walked and Bella dislodged their hands and wrapped an arm around Alice's waist.

The study itself was larger than the others they had been shown. It appeared it was the main meeting area and held a few couches and finely upholstered chairs. A large oak wood table with adorning chairs sat off to the left nearest to a fireplace that had never been used. The room was filled with shelves that carried books with titles Alice could read and maps of places she'd never heard of. She imagined there were many different lives and languages to be discovered in this room aside from those they were about to meet.

Upon the couch closest to the table sat a man with neatly cropped blonde hair and a woman with shoulder length auburn tresses. Their golden eyes searched her amber ones with interest. They were dressed well—him in a vest, dress shirt, and slacks and her in a flowing sleeveless gown that touched her ankles. The woman seemed so much younger than him despite their appearance beside each other denoting only a few years difference in physical age. He had a sort of stately air to him while she possessed all the youthful exuberance of a young mother. They both smiled warmly without any sense of ulterior motivation other than being simply pleased to meet them.

Alice was impressed.

They were introduced as Dr. Carlisle and Esme Cullen. A young couple for the entire world to admire, but a wiser pair to anyone else who knew better. Edward's parents for all intents and purposes. Alice could scarcely believe they were in association at all. These people seemed so lovely and Edward seemed…like Edward.

"It is an honor to meet you both," Esme said through a blindingly bright smile. Alice took notice to the twin marks on her neck and how her skin was untouched in any other way. She had never seen a day of battle in her life.

"I do hope you find our home accommodating enough," Carlisle said, although through some difficulty it seemed. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Bella's scars but he said nothing to confront the issue. Alice in turn glared at him until his eyes met hers.

"I'm sure we will," Alice said then smiled slowly showing her teeth. Though she wasn't exactly scarred she had seen a fight or two. If he kept looking at Bella like she was the dirt beneath his shoes she'd find herself in another.

"And this is the Denali family," Jasper introduced the large bunch beside them. There were five of them, Carmen, Eleazar, Tanya, Kate, and Garrett. All of them sported the same golden eyes and were as devastatingly regal and beautiful as the first pair. They were older than Carlisle in their years on this earth that much Alice knew from just looking at them.

"Carmen and Eleazar are mated as well as Kate and Garrett," Jasper explained. "Although, Kate and Garrett are still enjoying the honeymoon period."

Alice scoffed at that. There was a honeymoon period? She'd clearly missed that boat. Even still she nuzzled into her mate's side feeling more anxious at the amount of eyes trained on not just them but on Bella's scars. The Denali's were more accepting of their presence and rose to greet them one by one.

"We're so pleased you've come to help with our situation," Eleazar said in a rich Spanish accent. Carmen nodded and shook each of their hands.

"I too, appreciate your presence. It'll be a lot easier with more hands to teach us how to defend ourselves and gather support," she said through her equally resonant accent. She smiled warmly at them.

Tanya was next and although Alice sensed she had seen an incredible amount of years she wasn't surprised to see the calf length dress or fashionable cloche adorning her head. She was forever young at what appeared to be seventeen years of age. She grinned at Bella and batted her lashes at her from beneath pin-curled bangs. Because they were the same height they looked straight into each other's eyes.

"Isabella Swan," she spoke in a deep Russian accent. "So you're the key to all of this."

Bella shook her head and smiled self-consciously. "I'm not sure about a key, but we're here to help in any way that we can."

"And what a help, you shall be. Your reputation has preceded you Isabella, another of Jasper's gifted kin and fellow soldiers. Jasper tells us your shield is impenetrable. Tell me, Isabella, is it true?" She purred questioningly.

Alice felt the growl build up in her chest. Who did this woman think she was? While when the previous pair had greeted them there was a sort of camaraderie present, this was different. It was in the way that Tanya only stared at Bella and took care to ignore Alice's presence. They way she stared admiringly down at Bella's scars. It was especially evident in the way her eyes lit with anticipation of Bella's response. Alice quickly filled the place between them and glared up at the tall blonde.

"She prefers to be called Bella," she corrected her coldly. "And yes, her shield is quite strong."

She backed Bella up a bit to increase the distance between them. The Denali woman quirked an eyebrow and smirked down at her.

"And who might you be little one?" Tanya wanted to know.

"I'm Alice and the woman you've been gushing over and ogling these past few minutes is MY mate," Alice hissed.

Where the massive room had once felt expansive it now seemed to shrink around her. Everyone seemed to be gauging her actions and reactions at will. Alice didn't care. Let them! Her gaze switched from Tanya to the others who had taken steps away from them obviously sensing the emerging hostility. It was fine by her; they had all been far too close anyhow.

Any sense of friendship ceased when Tanya licked her lips and giggled. The petite vampire looked her adversary up and do wn then drew back her teeth. If Bella wouldn't set her straight, she'd gladly tear this woman down to size.

"I see no mark," Tanya stated bluntly. "And besides my advances haven't gone unwanted."

Her sly, golden gaze slid over to Bella. Alice twisted to glance up at her and growled at the slight twitch of her lips. She would not be made a fool of in this house of strangers! She made a move to bolt for the door just as Bella's arm encircled her waist and pulled her close.

"We haven't gotten around to marking one another yet," Bella explained calmly with as little mirth Alice supposed she could contain.

The couple on the other side of Tanya glanced up from their involved staring and soft words to curiously look upon them, like deer that'd just heard the first snap of a twig underneath a hunter's boot.

Alice felt all eight pairs of eyes turn to them as if some great offense had been committed. They all appeared stricken in some form, be it with confusion or curiosity, and all bore questions on their faces that only Tanya seemed willing to ask. Brave, foolish woman. Alice could imagine tearing her throat apart piece by perfect piece.

"Does she know?" Tanya asked, once again speaking only to Bella. This time she was merely inquisitive. Alice remained as tense as a rubber band, stretched and ready to snap.

"She knows why we mark our mates. We have decided that we will only partake in the marking when we're both ready," Bella said evenly. "We'll know when it's right."

"And are you ready now Isabella?" She purred. Alice hissed.

"She said, when we're both ready. Besides, that is none of your business!"

"How are they standing it?" Alice heard Esme whisper to Carlisle.

"How long have you been mated?" The woman introduced as Kate, asked from her place in Garret's arms. Alice noted that she, like all of the others except Tanya, wore the mark of her mate upon her neck.

"Months," Alice stated ominously.

"Four and a half months," Bella corrected. "If I'd a watch I could have counted down to the exact minute."

Alice blinked up at her in surprise. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"It's nothing for you to worry about," Bella said soothingly. Alice scoffed.

"Full disclosure, remember?" Alice snapped.

"Vampires mate instantly and permanently," Carlisle spoke up. His earlier mask of arrogance was replaced by one of interest. Alice didn't know which one she disliked most but perked up at the offered explanation.

"The marking is done almost instantly depending on the couple. It's not a chosen moment but an instinctual reaction to the need to protect and possess by both mates."

"Yeah? Well we're different," Alice spat. She didn't like the way this was going. Although they'd already experienced the need she didn't think it was as imperative as they all thought. Bella ran her fingers up and down her arms to calm her. Alice would have jerked away if it didn't feel so good. She inhaled deeply, catching the slightest whiff of her mate's scent, and instantly calmed down.

"Time will tell, I suppose," Carlisle said. "I don't advise you staying with us however."

Bella growled. "Excuse me?"

"You know, as well as I do, the longer you postpone the marking the more dangerous you both become to us all. Jealousy and possessiveness will consume you."

"Edward is marked," Alice hissed. "And he's still a crazed lunatic when it comes to Bella. I think that shoots your theory straight through."

"He's a different case," Jasper said. He glanced between Eleazar and her. "He is how he is because of me, who I once was, and what he's had to endure as a result. It's not his fault."

"Excuses," Alice muttered. Jasper drew back his teeth, showing no matter his level of disappointment; Edward was off limits in this conversation. Alice rolled her eyes. The prodigal son seemed to still get his way without even being present.

"So, you're saying we should leave? Good. I didn't want to be here anyway."

"Alice!" Bella hissed.

"No, Bella, they obviously don't want us here. Just because we aren't following some sacred rule to mating!"

"That's not what Carlisle means at all," Edward spoke up from the doorway. Alice whipped around and snarled openly at the man who had attacked them earlier in the evening. She crouched down before Bella and was prepared to defend them both.

Edward laughed and moved swiftly to Jasper's side. Alice didn't miss how quickly Jasper had stepped in front of him and set his hardened glare on her. It was clear. What happened in the woods was on Edward. What happened here would be solely on her head and Bella's. Bella placed a hand on her shoulder and Alice straightened out of her crouch.

"Then tell us, Carlisle, what is it that you mean?" Bella asked tersely. She had both hands rubbing Alice's shoulders, massaging away the tension that built inside her.

"You should stay in the opposite wing of the house and perhaps limit your contact with us until this matter is dealt with. Make no mistake about it Alice, what happened here tonight with Tanya will increase ten-fold now that you're here with other unmated vampires."

"As long as they don't attempt to pursue her, they'll be fine," Alice said.

Esme shook her head and rose gracefully from her seat. Carlisle tensed and sent Alice a warning look. Alice didn't know what the big deal was. It was just Esme, perhaps the most tolerable person in this motely group. She posed no threat.

Esme crossed the room to her at a slow pace but each step aided in the building of a growl in Alice's chest. It rolled forward just as she came to a stop a foot away. Carlisle was on his feet instantly, worriedly looking them over.

Alice snarled at her then immediately clamped her hands over her mouth in surprise. Esme smiled warmly and nodded.

"I am a mated woman with no interest in your Bella," she said.

"I know," Alice answered quietly.

"Soon you won't be able to recognize the difference at all and anyone you see approaching her will appear to be a threat. What will you do then Alice? What will we do?"

"Is this how you're feeling as well?" Alice turned and asked Bella.

"My shield is the only thing keeping me calm," Bella said. Her voice quaked as if she were under tremendous strain. "I didn't know it would feel this bad though, I'm having trouble containing myself."

"No one here means you or Bella harm, Alice," Jasper said and Edward snorted from behind him. Jasper sent a dark look over his shoulder that had Alice smiling at Edward's newfound discomfort.

"We just want to be sure that you pose no threat to us as well and as long as you are not prepared to mark and be marked we must take precaution," Esme said with all of the sincerity in the world. Alice wasn't quite sure what to make of most of the people in the room but Esme seemed to the only truly kind one of the bunch. She trusted her and hoped it wouldn't be a mistake.

"We're more than happy to help you through this," Esme said. "Just work with us, please?"

"I'm willing if you are," Bella said. Alice looked up into her mate's soft expression and nodded with a heavy sigh.

Esme clapped her hands together and returned to her seat bringing a still wary Carlisle with her.

"Good then!" She said. "I'm sure you both have many questions for us, why don't we all have a seat and get everything out into the open."

Bella led Alice to a love seat between the Denali's and the Cullen's. The taller woman sat at an angle against the far left corner, allowing Alice to rest comfortably between her legs and pull her own legs up and fold them beneath her. With her back resting against Bella's chest she couldn't help but purr contentedly.

"We met Laurent and Irina in the woods a month ago," Bella said. "She told us we're not only facing Maria but the Volturi. Why?"

Esme shifted nervously beside Carlisle and he lifted his arm to wrap tightly around her slender shoulders.

"It is a very long story," Esme began.

"Well, incase you haven't noticed, we've got all the time in the world," Bella drawled.

"The thing you need to realize, Bella, is that we really don't. At least, not Carlisle or I. We are being hunted by the Volturi for one specific reason and that is my past."

"_Your_ past?" Alice squeaked disbelievingly. She could scarcely believe Esme was at the heart of this.

"Yes, mine. I will have been a vampire for eighty-three years this past July. I was twenty-three and I was pregnant at the time. During my pregnancy my husband died of cholera and his debts took our small fortune with him. Alone and destitute I took a position as a nanny in Europe, specifically in Italy."

A small smile graced her lips as she relived a much better part of her story. "It was there that I met Carlisle. He was a Volturi agent at the time but was allowed to practice medicine outside of the castle when he could get away. The mating pull was stronger than anything I'd ever felt and I was filled with a joy I hadn't experienced since discovering my pregnancy."

"What happened to the baby?" Alice asked. There was obviously no evidence of a human here or having been in the house for quite some time.

"That's where the Volturi came in. Are you aware of the three governing brothers?" She asked. Bella nodded but Alice shook her head.

"Aro, an inquisitive and nefarious man can read your entire memory with a single touch, Caius is an incredibly vain but ruthless being, bent on control of our kind, and then there's Marcus, poor Marcus."

Carlisle stiffened beside her. "How can you still say that? After all this time?"

"I don't believe Marcus is entirely complicit in this. I think it truly is Caius behind the wheel."

"Why do you believe that?" Bella asked.

"Well, Caius, who had always been suspicious of Carlisle and his nature toward humans, had him followed one day. I was brought to the castle immediately and thrown in front of the brothers along side with Carlisle for judgment. They had assumed the baby was Carlisle's."

"We can reproduce?" Bella gasped.

"Not the women, only the men," Esme replied with a sad smile. "When a male vampire mates with a human female the end result can be fatal for the woman. The Volturi had knowledge of certain situations involving what humans call Incubi. They prey on women and when the woman becomes pregnant they abandon them. The women and the offspring never survive but their end is incredibly messy. The Volturi was furious that Carlisle would bring such a situation down on them. It was only when Aro read our memories that he discovered our love and honesty. Caius was thwarted only briefly."

She halted for a moment and took a deep breath before continuing. Her hands absently ran across her flat stomach.

"Marcus, for apparently the first time in a hundred years, gasped suddenly and rose from his throne. Marcus, can see the bonds between people. He saw no significant bond between Carlisle and myself. We've speculated it was my human form and the baby. However, Marcus saw a bond that connected me to him and someone in his life that had long since been destroyed—his mate Didyme."

"She was a beautiful, vibrant woman from what I've been told. Gifted with the ability to make everyone around her happy," Carlisle took up the tale for her. "Though Esme and Didyme look nothing alike, I have traced her lineage and she is a direct descendant of Marcus' former wife and Aro. Initially, I thought that Marcus could see my mating bond to her and would understand the situation. Esme and I were dismissed for the evening while they made their decision. By dawn they had decided that Esme was to remain in Volterra for Marcus and I could either leave Italy and never return or be destroyed."

Bella shook her head and Alice glanced up at her. "They were going to kill you no matter what."

"Precisely my line of thinking. I had endeavored to escape with her but they had taken her to another part of the castle. So, I did the only thing I thought was possible—I enlisted the help of a few friends to stage a diversion."

"Who?" Alice asked curiously. Who would want to stand up to the Volturi?

"Werewolves, Alice. I had in the past made the acquaintance of a group of men that wished to stray from their main pack, wanting only to live in peace and not continue an eternal war with the Volturi. I convinced them to mobilize the other werewolves as a distraction and disappear in the midst of battle. It was the only thing I could think of that would draw their complete attention away from us and it worked."

"Did they survive? The werewolves, I mean," Alice asked quietly. She didn't know them, didn't even know they truly existed, but somehow felt sympathy for their being used. Some of them must not have survived.

"Some, but not all, it was enough for them to form their own pack and create a more peaceful existence. We still keep in contact from time to time. They don't regret helping me; it ensured their separation from the pack and secrecy of their existence. The other pack believes they all died in the battle."

"So there's a happy ending there," Bella said. She switched her gaze to Esme. "What about you?"

"The Volturi had already removed my child and begun my change to save me. I don't know what I would have done if Carlisle hadn't gotten me out before they returned. Ever since, we've maintained a low profile," Esme said.

Though, with us being drawn into the Southern Wars we've been brought back out into the open. So you see, it is all intertwined. The Wars are our problem because we along with the Denali coven have maintained residences in the north for decades. This is our home and we must fight for it."

"We also suspect that Maria has been contracted by the Volturi to smoke us out so to speak," Carlisle spoke while glaring accusingly at Jasper. "Still quite a coincidence that you initially showed up when you did."

"We've been over this Carlisle. I was not and never will be a spy for Maria. Edward is my life now and protecting him and myself is all that matters. I am here only because Edward cares about you and the Denali coven," Jasper said. He crossed his arms over his broad chest then sighed when Edward came around and tugged his arm loose. Edward's fingers ran along the inside of Jasper's forearm until they reached his hand.

"She'll never stop looking for you, Volturi or no Volturi, don't forget that," he said softly and for a moment Alice thought she was seeing things and was surely going mad. Edward? Compassionate? She decided it must have been a mating mechanism and still eyed him with great suspicion.

"So, that's your story," Bella said then directed her gaze at the Denali coven. "What about you fine people?"

Eleazar smiled at her and nodded.

"You've met Laurent and Irina. They are our family and we will not abandon them in their time of need. Edward is right and I'm sure you both have come to the same conclusion. Maria will not stop until she has all of the territory she sets her eyes on and part of that includes the gifted members of her camp that abandoned her."

"And the Volturi?" Alice asked.

"They've also become alarmed at how large our coven has grown in the past few decades. Kate is gifted along with Tanya and myself. They also see our alliance with Carlisle and Esme dangerous as well. I believe they seek only to consume and exert power."

"And you're the expert?" Alice questioned with raised eyebrows.

"My dear, I was one of them as was once Carlisle. I was valuable to them once and while I will always be thankful that they let me leave with Carmen I have never doubted that they would return and demand my loyalty for that favor or threaten my life."

"So that's it then?" Bella said. "We're all here for one reason or the other. Who do we go after first?"

Jasper glanced at Carlisle. "That has yet to be decided. For now we're gathering intelligence, support, and building our own army. Neither of our opponents will come alone. Each one of us needs to be prepared."

"Then prepared we'll be," Bella said to which Jasper smiled. Alice sighed deeply as the talks of strategy began. Who should go first and why, where, and when? She closed her eyes for a moment against Bella's form and re-entered her hallway of possibilities. Leaving was out of the question. They were here and fighting was their only option. She dipped more gracefully than she ever expected into a vision of her and Bella's future.

_It was night, and they were in quite possibly the densest forest Alice had ever seen, snow covered the earth and ice chips crunched under their feet as she walked. She watched from the sidelines as her future self walked and the forest's darkness was illuminated with a bright red and orange glow. Bark crackled and hissed and purple smoke engulfed the area she entered. She couldn't help but notice the long scar trailing from her temple to her chin and how dead her golden eyes seemed. _

_As she approached Alice could see that there was a fire ahead that stretched languidly towards the heavens. There were bits and pieces of vampires laying on the ground twitching in the melting snow. Something told her that they were long forgotten and she didn't dare look for specifics in fear that she'd see some shred of someone she knew. This had been the site of a battle. For what and with whom she didn't know but from the broken look on her future self's face she knew the outcome had been grim. _

_The woman across from her with the horrific scar and cold eyes watched the fire with a grimace on her face. With a deep heavy sigh she reached out to ghost her fingers across the flames, not close enough to touch but enough to feel the warmth. Alice saw her lips move slowly but no words were spoken. She smiled widely then and took one step and then another into the flames without a sound. More purple smoke rose from the flames and Alice gasped looking around hoping and praying that Bella was near. She could use her shield! _

_It struck her then cold and hard. The only reason why became apparent and rang out like a siren in her head. The only way she'd walk willingly to her death was if Bella were already dead. _

She gasped softly and returned back through the hallway and into reality as seamlessly as she had left. She sat up slowly and turned on the couch, tucking her legs underneath her. Bella's arms wrapped tightly around her and Alice's own hands came up to clutch her mate's forearms firmly as if to be sure she were really there.

"What is it Alice?" Bella's lips were at her ear, whispering so softly that only she could hear.

Alice glanced at the room and the steady buzz of debate over their upcoming two-front war. Alice didn't respond verbally and only leaned back against the stone body beside her trying to wrap her mind around the very real possibility that their days were quite literally numbered.

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><p>AN:*runs away into the night* Let me know how you guys liked it or didn't like it! I love hearing feedback from you guys telling me what you like and understand and what you don't like and don't get. How do you feel about the changes to Esme and Carlisle's past and the Volturi's involvement? What did you think of Tanya? See ya next time! 


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Happy belated Holidays! I know I know, I'm such a bad author for not updating sooner but the holidays kicked my ass all over the place. I actually had this chapter written at the beginning of December but kept debating on whether or not this was the right chapter for where we were at in the story. Eventually after writing several replacement chapters I came to realize that none of them came close to moving the story forward like this one and none of them felt as right as this one did.

I'd also like to thank everyone who reviewed and alerted last chapter! You guys all helped me through the writing of this chapter!

So, with that said I hope you guys had a great holiday and I hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but this macbook and myself.

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><p>Alice and Bella were shown to their side of the house shortly after the meeting. The stairs creaked with a sort of rustic beauty as the couple ascended to the third floor following a tense and silent Jasper. Gone was the twangy conversationalist, replaced by a sullen and very dangerous looking man. To Alice, at the time, it didn't matter a single bit.<p>

She wasn't sure if vampires could or could not get headaches but if the slight throb in her skull wasn't a figment of her imagination it was surely proof. It had begun just after her vision and was the reason why Bella had remained stoic throughout the rest of the meeting. Bella knew something was wrong and Alice would be willing to bet she'd drag it out of her as soon as they were in private. This wasn't something she wanted to share. Even though the acute pain was disconcerting she wasn't sure that telling Bella about her vision was the best thing for either of them at the moment.

She could imagine Bella frantic with worry over their impending demise. The comfort she'd offer would be soothing but the fussing was what Alice worried about. With Bella preoccupied over the possible but not entirely concrete future anything or anyone could capitalize on her distraction. She couldn't allow it especially when so many things rode on the vision being fact or fiction.

Jasper led them to the eastern wing of the house and stopped just short of a door at the end of a long corridor.

"Here we go," he said gruffly. He scratched his chest lightly then opened the door for them. With a sweep of his arm he ushered them into a room twice the size of the study. It held a large four-post bed with a couch at the end, two chaise lounges sitting opposite of each other, and a massive mahogany desk. They walked inside and Jasper flipped on the lights, which breathed life into the crème colored walls and lavish carpets that lined the floor.

"On the left, there's a fully stocked closet," Jasper said. "Esme didn't know your size Alice so she kind of guessed. She knew Bella's from looking through Edward's memories."

"How can he do that?" Bella asked. Jasper's brows furrowed and he swallowed thickly. Alice felt sadness ebb at the edge of her anxiety.

"It's just that I only knew his powers involved the readin' of the mind."

"His gift has evolved, so to speak, thanks to Eleazar and his experiments and training. It has its positives," Jasper said. He smiled wryly then shook his head.

"But it's got it's negatives, too," Bella said. He nodded.

"Ah, well, everything will turn out. Eleazar taught him how to access that part of his gift, now they're working on controlling it. It'll be okay," Jasper said.

"It's not your fault, you know," Bella told him with a small smile of her own.

"Yeah. But he wouldn't have needed the training if he thought he was good enough for me on his own," Jasper replied. "You ladies have a good night, we'll be meeting again in the back of the house for training at dawn."

With that he blurred out of the room shutting the door gently behind him. Left alone for the first time in hours Alice resisted the urge to move into Bella's arms. She planted her feet firmly on the rug and crossed her arms ready for the argument to begin.

Bella only smiled at her.

"Hey," she said softly. Alice leaned slightly towards her then rocked backwards in an effort to prevent the inevitable.

"Hello," Alice replied just a softly. She glanced over at Bella and let her lips curl upwards slowly.

"I'm not going to ask," Bella said.

Alice relaxed slightly. "Really?"

"You'll tell me, eventually," Bella said. "Won't you have the same faith in me? See how far it takes you?"

"Wanna bet on the distance?" Alice asked. Bella laughed and spun around and took in their surroundings. She blurred to the bathroom door and leaned against the frame.

"Can't really measure faith," Bella's voice bounced its way back to Alice in the form of an echo.

"So you say," Alice said.

Bella looked over her shoulder. "So I know."

Alice rolled her eyes. Typical Bella, thinking she knew everything. She watched her disappear into the bathroom and shut the door. The lock clicked into place and Alice snorted.

"Like that could keep me out?" Alice called out. Bella's tinkling laughter echoed from the tiled room.

"Give me a minute, will ya'?" Bella said. Alice shrugged but made no move towards the bathroom. Instead she surveyed their room with a more detailed eye.

Thick burgundy drapery hung in slivers from the ceiling to the floor over the windows beside the bed. She leaned against the crème colored space and plucked at the silken cloth, which revealed clean glass and a good view of what used to be a courtyard.

The moon shone down on the wreckage of a cracked statue and the last half of the basin of a once glorious fountain. Unsurprisingly, nothing was overgrown. The turf was however broken and dug up in places leaving patches of brown in the midst of rich green.

She supposed it was where they all trained. Anticipation drew from within her and coiled in the pit of her gut. Tomorrow she'd learn how to fight like Bella and become her equal in every way. She decided she liked the idea and grinned at the imagined image of her sparring with her own mate.

She had no doubt she could be every bit as good as her with time.

Alice loosened her grip on the curtain just as she noticed Edward step out into the courtyard. The moonlight caught his bronze hair and pale skin setting off an ethereal contrast even Alice couldn't deny as beautiful. She watched him pace back and forth, turn his head up to the moonlight, and talk to the sky. His fingers tangled in his already mused coif and he doubled over baring his teeth. A blur dashed past him, knocking him off his feet and onto his ass. Alice couldn't help but giggle when Edward sat upright in apparent bewilderment.

Jasper stood a few feet away with his back to him and a satisfied grin on his face. He began to run but Edward was faster and soon he was grasped and thrown back to where Edward once stood. Jasper gracefully adjusted himself in mid air and landed on the balls of his feet. He fell in to a crouch and glared up at Edward's patented smirk then lunged for him. They were at each other's throat's for minutes at a time, swiping, punching, and kicking, one besting the other only to find himself on his back the next round. It ended with Edward sweeping Jasper's legs out from under him and Jasper taking Edward down with him causing them both to roll a further away from the house.

Edward ended up straddling Jasper's waist and clutched his head in his hands. Jasper reached up and cupped his face. Edward jerked back and blurred away with Jasper hot on his heels. It looked like she and Bella weren't the only pair with problems. Further proof that mating wasn't always the fairytale everyone purported it to be. She let the silk drape drop and turned away from the window just as the lights were flipped off. She turned around and found Bella leaning in the doorway of the bathroom naked as the day she'd been born in her human life. She could see her just as clearly with the lights off and took in the beauty of the woman standing before her.

Alice had been so wrapped up in observing the courtyard that she hadn't even noticed the door unlock. She was standing directly in front of Bella in an instant, the breeze created by her movement sent a few of Bella's strands across her face. Alice reached up and tenderly tucked them back in place behind her ear. Bella leaned into the touch and purred softly.

"C'mere, I gotta show you somethin'," she said. Bella tugged on Alice's free arm and motivated her to move forward.

"It's not candlelit because, well, you know," Bella said with a shrug. She pulled her further into the bathroom, which was half the size of the bedroom itself and sported a bathtub that was more reminiscent of a small pond. The tub was filled with steaming hot water. Dozens of flowers and petals covered the surface and Alice breathed in deeply to capture their scent. She smiled and stepped closer to Bella.

It wasn't an empty house in the middle of nowhere and she had no blood to wash from her skin. Everything felt perfect and renewed. Bella smiled brightly at her unspoken approval.

"I knew you'd like it," she said.

Alice quirked an eyebrow. "So you read minds now, too?"

Bella thought about it for a moment. "No! Just yours."

"Figures," Alice said. Bella pulled her flush against her own bare chest. If it were possible for Alice to blush she would have turned tomato red at the arousal that crept up on her. It was instantaneous and unyielding to her good senses. She swore her skin burned where Bella touched her. The heat she felt went right through her hard skin and cracked the resolve she'd been clinging to right in half.

"Shit, Bella," Alice groaned to which Bella chuckled in response.

"Sweeter words have never been spoken," Bella whispered along her jawline.

Alice's knees buckled and she cursed herself for being so inept. How could Bella want someone like her? Inexperienced, damaged, and cursed to never know how to repair the latter so she could see to the former. She buried her face in Bella's shoulder and felt sure hands clutch her shoulders and grip the fabric of her jacket.

She looked up into Bella's brown eyes and gasped when her jacket was removed slowly and neatly dropped on the floor. Alice stood statue still as Bella unbuttoned her shirt in an agonizingly slow pace until that too joined the jacket. Her pants followed and she stepped out of them quickly. She didn't fight when Bella scooped her up and sat her down on the edge of the massive tub and didn't hesitate to slip into her arms when Bella settled in beneath the water. Alice sighed contentedly with her back to Bella's chest and her arms wrapped around her. It felt like home or, rather like a never ceasing perfection. She was safe and loved and knew this at her core. What she didn't know was how long it would or could last.

The memory of her vision tiptoed around in the back of her head. Exactly how much time did they have left before her vision potentially came true? A day? A year? Centuries? She preferred that they had several millennia but wouldn't admit it aloud.

Alice moved her hands through the water and watched the petals slip between her fingers. Calm returned to her and the ache in her head subsided. Alice lifted an untarnished flower from the water. Its petals were yellow and fluted upwards. The stem had been cut short and dangled between her fingertips as she held it at eye level.

"Daffodils," Bella's chest vibrated against Alice's skin as she spoke. Alice shivered delicately. She laid the daffodil back down and scooped up one with purple petals and a yellow core.

"What about this one?"

"Hmmm, Aster, I can tell because of the seeds," Bella said. Alice turned sideways to look at her.

"What?" Bella asked. "Can't a girl know about flowers?"

"I just never pegged you for the type," Alice said. Bella smirked.

"I bet you can't tell me what the next one is," Alice challenged.

"Turn around, close your eyes, and pick one out."

"How will I know if you're telling the truth," Alice asked.

"Look into the future," Bella suggested.

"No!" Alice said. "I mean…no."

It was Bella's turn to display shock. The arms around Alice instantly tightened. Alice watched Bella suck her lower lip into her lip and imagined she was fighting the urge to ask.

"I'm sorry," Alice said. "I'm so sorry."

Bella shushed her. "I'll tell you the truth about any flower you pick up if you stop apologizing."

"Agreed," Alice said with a small smile. Bella was trying so hard to make her comfortable and keep her calm. Alice turned around fully and placed her legs over Bella's. "Eyes closed until I tell you to open them."

"Okay," Bella replied then shut her eyes. Alice closed hers and pulled her fingers through the water until they caught a silken bulbous flower. The stem was longer than the others and a thorn pressed at the inside of her ring finger. She held it up.

"Open," she commanded. Instantly the flower was snatched from her grasp.

"Eager?" Alice teased.

"Intrigued. It's the only one in here."

"One of a kind," Alice said. "I like it."

"You would," Bella said.

Alice felt the smooth texture of the petals trace her jaw line and trail up to her lips. The scent was easily recognizable and had been shrouded amongst all of the others. She inhaled deeply when the petals tickled her nose then brushed against her cheeks and down her jaw again. Alice arched forward and gasped when the petals were directed down her neck.

"Bella?"

"It's a rose," Bella announced. The rose's descent had stopped just above her collarbone and made a light circle before disappearing all together. The rose's soft petals were replaced with Bella's plush lips. The kiss sent a spark of electricity radiating from her neck all the way down to her toes. Out of instinct Alice inched closer and shivered at the feel of the raised bumps of Bella's scars raking across her skin. Bella gasped against her collarbone and drew the rose along the back of Alice's neck, eliciting a soft moan from the petite woman.

"Look at me, Alice," Bella demanded in a whisper. Alice's eyes shot open and she saw the desire pooling in her mate's eyes. Bella wanted her. _HER! _

"Will you let me love you?" Bella asked thickly. The stem of the rose began it's descent from her neck and down between her shoulder blades. The thorns scratched lightly against her skin and her back arched in response.

Bella kissed her lips fully and took her time to worship her bottom lip. She wanted to. God only knew how much. Everything felt so right, who was she to cast doubt on their moment. She wanted Bella just as much. Her hands rested on Bella's bent knees and squeezed and kneaded the muscles just above them. She felt Bella's thighs quiver beneath her fingertips, then smiled into their kiss and deepened it.

The first time they were like this she recalled her first memory so vividly that the moment was ruined before it ever really began. The second time they had been filled with such rage she wasn't surprised when the memories resurfaced yet again. Her maker had been determined to create her in misery and trap her in her shame. This time would be different. She could feel the love and the trust between them coupled with their need.

"Yes," Alice said once they parted. Bella kissed her again and pulled her closer so that she was seated in her lap her core braced against Bella's lower abdomen. Alice shifted so she was kneeling and straddling Bella's waist. Alice watched as Bella's scarred hands ran the length of her upper body and then back up to her pert breasts.

She was smaller than Bella in that department and Alice remembered to her dismay she was smaller than Bella in _every_ department. She closed her eyes and groaned. She was so inadequate.

"Look at me," Bella demanded again. Alice slowly opened her eyes to gaze upon Bella's concerned face. "You are perfect."

Alice shook her head and Bella reached up and grabbed her chin forcing her to stare directly at her. "Are you the only vampire that's hard of hearing?"

Alice laughed.

"You are perfect and beautiful in every way. Let me show you," Bella implored.

Alice nodded and acquiesced to her mate's wishes.

"Keep your eyes on me," Bella commanded. Alice obeyed and watched Bella kiss the valley there until she moaned. Bella then moved on to her breasts trailing her lips under and over teasingly avoiding her nipples intent on making her beg. It was only when she hovered dangerously close over the tiny buds that Alice let out a breathy sigh and a strained 'please'.

Bella happily obliged her, sucking each nipple into her mouth in turns. She wrapped an arm around Alice's waist and caressed her side, moving her hand down past her hip and resting at her thigh.

"Look at me Alice," Bella said and Alice complied. "Are you alright?"

While she waited for Alice's response she kissed the underside of one of her breasts then drew her teeth gently across the same spot.

"Yes!" Alice cried out. But she wasn't. And there like an old faithful dog, darkness slithered along her happiness. She tried to shut it out and grit her teeth with effort. There was only Bella. Just Bella. It was no use. She could no longer hear the water rushing around them. Alice could only hear metal clanking against metal and her own hoarse pleads for mercy. She kept her eyes open and tried to focus on her mate.

"Good," Bella said.

She looked upwards and Alice suspected it was to ensure that her instructions were being followed. When her curiosity had been satisfied, Bella straightened and attacked Alice's lips, feverishly nipping her lower lip and coaxing her tongue into play.

Alice felt Bella's fingers inch up her thigh and press against her core. Alice hissed and bucked against Bella's fingers, which curled reflexively against the tiny bundle of nerves. Alice was surprised to discover that she was riding Bella's fingers, rolling her hips to get more contact. Bella encouraged it and rewarded her with a single finger breaching the entrance to her slit.

"That's it," Bella encouraged.

Her lips were right at Alice's ear tickling the tender flesh there and furthering her arousal. Alice moaned through her own undulating motions thankful that it was her decision on how fast or slow they went. Her back arched and her hands came up to tangle in Bella's silken strands. Alice held her close and kissed her while her own body moved against hers.

Everything around her became amplified. The sparse amount of moon light streaming in from the window seemed like sunshine and the water that splashed against her as she moved sounded like the rushing crest of a wave. Bella's small gasps of pleasure from the friction between them were like bells.

It was overwhelming and reminded her of the earliest days when Bella removed her shield and she knew the world for all of its noises. Her senses heightened and something coiled tight within her belly. Electricity spread throughout her limbs and she smiled into her next kiss.

"Alice," his hiss shot straight through her and threatened to overtake her. She whimpered and closed her eyes trying desperately to concentrate on Bella and the movement of her own hips.

"Alice?" Bella's voice warred with his in her head. Bella's sweet presence versus his groans and growls of stolen pleasure. She could feel the cold thin mattress and the weight of his body pinning her down. She remembered that he held her eyes open while the fire consumed her as if to remind her that even in death she'd have no rest from him.

"Open your eyes, Alice!" Bella was frantic now.

Alice squeezed her eyes shut. She could hear his voice and feel his breath on her neck. Her caretaker's words reverberated in her skull.

"James! You said you only wanted to turn her!"

His name was James. Alice could see his face, long and scarred with onyx eyes and dirty blonde hair falling into his face. His sadistic grin stuck out the most. He let her eyes close only when the change was near its end. A solemn, 'it's done', punctuated the worst seventy-two hours of her life.

"Darlin' please!"

Slowly she complied fearing she might actually see him. She was relieved to see only Bella. Alice's respite was short lived when she took in the near hysterical state of her mate. Bella gripped Alice's head with both hands and peered into her face with a small amount of hope and a larger amount of fear.

"I—I—Bella—"

"If you say you're sorry so help me God Alice I'll turn this whole house upside down," Bella ground out.

Alice's spirits sunk. Bella was angry with her. She was out of the tub in seconds and had a towel wrapped around her before she could blink. Her undead heart broke in the silence. Bella flicked on the lights and as the filament buzzed and hummed to life Alice felt their last chance at a perfect evening die.

"Bella," Alice was ashamed at how small her voice sounded to her own ears. It was pathetic. Here she had been fighting for so long to remain independent of this woman and now she knew in that very moment she'd get on her hands and knees and beg if it meant she'd talk to her again.

Bella held her hand up to stop any further speech. Alice's pleas died in her throat. Bella swept her off of her feet and ran into the next room where she gently set her down in the middle of the bed. Alice clutched the towel and pulled it tightly around herself as she watched Bella crawl up to her and kneel beside her.

"Never again," Bella murmured as she took her into her arms. Alice noticed for the first time since the tub that her eye color had changed. They were close to onyx.

Alice shook her head sending droplets of water flying. There would be no more of this. No more secrets. Alice grit her teeth. The longer she kept her beginning to herself the longer it would hold her prisoner. Alice didn't flinch while Bella methodically checked her over.

"I should have told you. I should tell you now," Alice began. Bella shushed her.

"Are you ready for me to know?"

Alice's eyebrows rose. "It doesn't matter what I feel anymore."

Bella shook her gently. "It will always matter. Are you ready for me to know? There's no shutting that door once it's opened."

"My memories," Alice whispered.

"I know," Bella responded. She cupped her face and gently kissed her forehead. "We all have pasts we have to reconcile with. You're no different."

"You were angry," Alice said. "Just a minute ago."

Bella sighed. "I was an idiot. My shield dropped in there and I felt—I needed…wanted you. I triggered what happened."

"I'm confused."

"I've been using my shield as a barrier between myself and the bond's more animalistic and instinctual necessities to stay in check since we arrived. And I promised you I wouldn't do anything without your permission…"

"You didn't lie," Alice said. "You asked."

"I coerced."

Alice grinned. "I wasn't complaining."

"I—"

"Hey. Do I have to turn the whole house upside down now?" Alice teased. Bella let out a rich laugh that soothed her frazzled nerves.

"No," Bella answered.

"Then stop it. No more apologies. Agreed?"

Bella nodded then leaned forward and stopped just a hair away from her lips. "S—I can't help myself."

"It's okay," Alice said.

Alice closed the small gap and softly pressed her lips against Bella's. She was thankful she felt pleasure rather than the alternative. They broke a part and Bella removed herself from the bed.

"Is there anything you need darlin'? Anything I can do?"

"Time. I mean could you give me a little bit of space to sort things out," Alice requested.

Bella's eyes widened.

"Just until dawn," Alice reassured her. "A few hours to think."

Bella nodded. "I could use a good run anyway."

"Thank you," Alice said.

Bella just smiled and disappeared into the enormous closet. She returned in a hunter green sundress that cut off a few inches below the knee.

"Anything for you, darlin'," Bella said and was in an instant gone.

The pull began to tug at her almost immediately. Alice clutched her chest and sighed at the discomfort. The only satisfactory thing about being separated was that she knew Bella felt the same tug and wouldn't go too far.

Once Alice gauged that her mate was at an appropriate distance away from her she pulled her knees to her chest and looked around the beautiful room one last time before she let the weight of her memories slide down on her.

Tears pricked at her eyes and she let out several deep shuddering gasps. Her body shook under the pressure of her mixed emotions of rage and shame. She wanted to scream, to burst, to destroy the man who'd sired her instead of her mate. Anger welled inside of her, filling her to the brim with vengeance and determination.

She grit her teeth and braced for the fury to rumble forth from her chest but could only manage to suck in a deep breath and let out an anguished cry of frustration.

What did this man want with her if he only meant to turn her then leave?

* * *

><p>Air pumped in an out of her lungs as she inhaled the fresh air by the gulp. Dead grass crunched beneath her feet and signaling her departure from the well manicured estate. It was times like this she wished she could cry.<p>

She was vaguely aware of her being followed but considering the company she kept up her pace ignoring them completely. Only when trees surrounded her and she was at a satisfactory distance from the house did she stop and roar loud enough to shake the treetops of their inhabitants. She slammed her fist through the first tree she gazed upon.

"You wanna tell me why you're wrecking the family land, Bella?" Jasper's familiar drawl only incensed her further.

He even sounded like him for Christ sakes! They were nothing alike and yet when Bella called up the memories she wasn't sure in that moment if she could discern the two if she turned around. The fury was blinding in such a way that she didn't trust herself to not react violently. She bit her lip and continued to rip up trees and chuck them a considerable distance away.

"What happened? How can I help?"

Bella let go of the tree she currently clutched and turned to him. He wasn't taken aback by her appearance and she didn't expect him to be. As of now he was one of the only people who knew her like this. Wild onyx eyes, taught muscle, and the burning desire to kill. She was feral and he stood there unmoving watching her carefully, prepared to defend himself if she lost control.

Bella laughed shortly. Once you got right down to it they were two peas in a pod. In battle she was the battering ram while he was the stealth. They'd discovered soon after her training that fighting each other would never yield a true victor. He was a better teacher than he should have been and she was too apt a pupil.

"Your emotions are all over the place," he said. Her rage fed into him and soon after his eyes turned black as well. She waited until the type of frenzy registered with him. She'd seen it in his eyes once right before he and Edward left the camp.

"It's Alice."

Bella only nodded.

"What can I do?"

"I know you've been keeping tabs on the world out there. The Cullen's and Denali's don't know your tactics like I do."

"You were a quick study."

"You have spies gathering intelligence on Maria's soldiers in the field. I want to know about one of those soldiers and then I want you to put me on their path."

"Who?"

"James."

"I wish I could," Jasper replied.

"He dropped off the map about three months ago. As you remember he's one of Maria's favorite trackers and wanted my position after I left. We heard he'd been sent away shortly after you left and we assumed he was tracking you then disappeared from your trail. He showed up again in upstate New York then vanished again. Our spies in Maria's camp have indicated that there's been no contact between him and Maria and that she's even sent out a small search party for him with no results."

"He wasn't," Bella hissed. "He was tracking Alice."

Jasper drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Am I to believe that he got to her."

"He turned her in the worst possible way," Bella said through gritted teeth.

"Does Alice know that you're aware?"

Bella shook her head. "I left to give her time to think."

"You'd leave her to go kill him? What if you don't come back? How do you think Alice would handle it? How would we handle it?"

"I just know he needs to be destroyed for what he did. I'm going to make him watch like he—"

She took deep breaths to calm herself. "I will end him."

"I know but not now," Jasper said. "We'll put feelers out and try to pick up another trail."

"Would you wait if this were Edward?" Bella asked. "Would you slow down and wait for a lead if James had done this to him?"

Jasper's lips drew back from his teeth in an automatic response. Bella didn't mind the snarl as she felt she was getting somewhere. Her Alice was carrying around a boatload of pain compliments of that monster. He didn't deserve to draw another breath.

"If this were Edward, I'd consider the outcome of rushing off in the middle of the night!"

"Bullshit!" Bella shouted. "You're the Major, you'd burn down half of the state to find whatever hole he crawled into. You'd smoke him out and make him feel Edward's pain before ending him!"

"Think about it Bella. What does she need? What does your Alice need right now?"

Bella growled at him. Jasper blurred forward and grasped her arms then shook her.

"What does she need?"

The anger receded slightly as Bella imagined Alice back in their room clutching the towel around her.

"Me."

"Exactly."

"I still want him dead."

"You'll get your chance," Jasper promised. "Give us time to pin point his location and you can take him out however you want."

Bella sighed and let her shoulders drop in defeat. There really was nothing to be gained by going after him now. Alice needed her and even now only a few miles away the tug was all but dragging her back to that bedroom.

"How can I go back in there?" Bella asked.

"She's your mate," Jasper replied. "Let the pull guide you to what she needs."

Bella's jaw clenched. She could still hear Alice's frantic pleas all around her. That bastard would pay for this.

"I can't get rid of the anger. How am I supposed to pretend to be in the dark?"

She was immediately relieved of her anger and only felt tranquility coursing through her.

"Shield up," Jasper said. Bella obeyed and felt the elastic tug of her shield pulling around her.

"We can't do that all of the time," Bella said.

"Just until you can control yourself. No, go."

Bella was off like a shot as sunlight peaked out over the horizon. She concentrated on the pull and on Alice. She was at the top of the stairs leading to their room when the door swung open. Alice leaned in the doorway dressed in a crème colored sundress. Her hair was mussed and stuck up in odd places. Bella smiled at the beauty in front of her and forgot the anger instantly.

"Did you have a good run?"

Bella nodded. "Are you ready for training?"

"You bet, just waiting on you," Alice said. Bella kissed the tip of her nose and held out her hand. Alice slid her slender fingers across Bella's palm and interlaced them with Bella's.

"Didn't think I'd come back?" Bella joked. Alice's face fell and Bella mentally kicked herself.

"I'll always come back to you."

Alice nodded. "I know."

"Good," Bella said then pulled her along down the stairs. At the bottom step Alice tugged on her arm causing Bella to stop and glance back at her.

"You are aware that last night doesn't change anything right?" Alice said. She then hurried on to continue.

"I mean with the marking and all."

Bella smiled. "I know. Not until we're both ready."

"Right," Alice said then smiled a smile back at her that didn't reach her eyes. "Until we're both ready."

* * *

><p>AN: Like I said earlier. I couldn't get this chapter out of my head and nothing else I wrote as a replacement seemed even remotely as right as this one did. I hope you enjoyed it. Please, please, please let me know what you thought about it. As always, it's greatly appreciated! So go on an let me know what you liked, loved, or hated! I promise I won't cry if you throw tomatoes! Until next time my lovely readers!


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Hey guys! I want to thank you all for being so patient with this story. I never intended for this to go so long without an update but I'm in the middle of moving to NYC and things have been hectic. I've been able to write in my spare time though, thanks to Evernote and my nifty new smart phone. I also have finally found a beta! A really big thanks to the lovely DodgerMClure who beta'd this within a day and had to put up with all of my phone's auto correct mistakes. Once again thanks for your reviews, pm's, alerts, and favorites! Your support has really kept me going on this story. Also, slight warning as some of you may have already noticed, this chapter is looooooooooooonnnngggggg! Well, longer than any other chapter in this story. So, if you were counting on a quick read you should stop, grab a drink and a snack, and prepare to be here for a little bit!

And a Happy Easter to all who celebrate. To everyone else, I hope you had a great and relaxing Sunday!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and characterizations of these characters. SM owns everything else...but you already knew that didn't you?

* * *

><p>"Again!" Bella called out.<p>

Alice inwardly groaned. Had she known this was the alternative to her not being trained she might have reconsidered her options. Alice huffed as she blurred back to the edge of their little meadow and stood ready to repeat the series of evasive maneuvers Bella had shown her only an hour before. She was improving…or so she thought. Each time Bella demanded that she try again, Alice put forth more effort; moved faster, and arrived closer to Bella's perfect demonstration by the end.

Her spirits would soar for seconds until Bella's voice rang out and knocked them back down. In an indiscernible way it was perfect despite her frustration. She had no time to let her mind wander or let her focus falter. She was immersed in learning the more vicious aspects of survival and it was far too easy to shut out the rest of the world.

Thankfully, their day had been nothing else but shutting everything else out and training. In Jasper's army they began the day with an assessment. They were separated into pairs based on skill levels and sets then were made to spar. Their rank numbers were uneven so Alice took on Carmen after Carmen sparred with Kate. The Denali woman was supposed to be a beginner but Alice knew immediately that her own skills couldn't match up. She was faster than Carmen but less aware of her opponent in their fight. She ended up flat on her back with Carmen's teeth inches away from her throat in mere seconds. Tanya and Edward's tinkling laughter flooded her with embarrassment.

She rested in the mud for a moment before Bella pulled her to her feet and shoved her behind her. Alice didn't miss the harsh glare she sent Tanya and Edward's way and the growl that escaped when she looked at Carmen. As ungraceful as Alice's defeat was she smiled into her mate's back at her defense.

Bella went up against Jasper and proved that while she wasn't as experienced as Jasper, she could nearly match him in speed and technique. She was gloriously lethal and aggressive. Shame and pride mixed within Alice. Jasper was both more experienced and larger in frame than her and yet Bella could maneuver easily around him and strike without hesitation. She wasn't afraid to take a hit and always returned the favor in kind. She appeared fearless and powerful even in defeat. She'd won respect whereas Alice only gained a mud stained dress.

Alice drummed up the images of her mate in battle and tried to focus on emulating her strength. She visualized herself completing the exercise and then opened her eyes and focused on Bella. Alice launched herself across the field as Bella did the same. Their bodies moved in near synchronicity. Where Bella attacked Alice bobbed and weaved her way to safety, never once allowing her mate to come close to her throat or touch her limbs.

As she landed nimbly on the opposite side from whence she'd started she breathed a sigh of relief. That one was too perfect to ignore. She glanced over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of Bella standing with her back to her hands curled into fists at her sides. The hem of her dress fluttered in the breeze.

Satisfaction brimmed within Alice. This was it. They had been practicing for what felt like hours. It was decided that until they marked one another, Alice would train with Bella alone and Bella would observe Jasper later to learn new skills. Everyone else had been divided between Jasper and Edward for advanced and novice training respectively. Alice understood the implications instantly.

She and Bella shouldn't be around the others in a violent setting, especially after the assessment's conclusion. Alice couldn't have agreed more even though she still wanted a chance to beat Edward over the head with his own limbs. And then there was Tanya to consider; pouting prettily when she realized that she wouldn't get the chance to spar with Bella.

Alice had glared at her until she finally turned around and followed Jasper over the field to where the others would train in a sort of seclusion. It served her right. She and Bella would be just fine by themselves.

Alice's smile widened when she saw Bella turn and face her. The tiny vampire whirled on her convinced that she had finally completed her task of learning the finer points of elusion. Bella crossed her arms over her chest and stared her down until Alice's confidence began to waver. Alice smiled hopefully. Bella's lips refused to turn upward. Instead she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in a display of obvious exasperation and uttered the one word Alice had truly begun to loathe.

"Again," she breathed out with some difficulty. "And this time don't hold back, Alice. You have to move faster and anticipate my next move."

"You want me to use my gift?" Alice asked. Bella shook her head.

"Your gift is worthless if you're blacked out while trying to see what I do next. Watch me. Observe my movements. Follow my body language. Every grunt, every growl, every hiss is a weapon you can use against your opponent."

Alice rolled her eyes. Like a hiss was going to tell her whether Bella was going to bank left or right. She let out a chortle at the mere thought. Two hisses could mean left and one could mean right. A growl could mean Bella was going to go low and a snarl could mean she was going to try an aerial attack.

It was absurd. If she couldn't predict with her gift then she couldn't predict at all. She could only react. That's where her control lied.

"Is there something you find amusing?" Bella's voice was icy.

"You're asking me to do the impossible! I can't read your mind and see what you're going to do anymore than you can read my mind and tell exactly how much you're getting on my nerves. Just a hint on the latter: a whole damn lot!"

"You are the one who wanted to learn how to fight. This is how you learn Alice," Bella ground out. "What exactly did you think that would entail?"

"Not…this!" Alice hissed. "That last round was perfect!"

Bella rushed her again without a single word of warning or advice. Alice yelped as she was lifted off the ground then driven back down in a single move. She landed heavily on her back with all of the air pushed out of her lungs and a snarl caught in her throat. She snapped her jaw shut when Bella appeared over her.

"If that had been anyone else you'd be in flames by now," Bella said with the shake of her head.

"You'd never let me end up like that." Alice replied off handedly. Bella flinched and jumped back as if she'd been physically struck. Alice came to stand behind her.

Bella's shoulders shook as she drew in deep breath after breath. She kept her back to her, refusing to turn even when Alice called out her name. In fact, Alice noticed she jerked slightly when Alice spoke at all.

A roar sounded from the field just across the way. In it contained the more advanced members of their little group. Alice followed what she assumed to be Bella's line of vision to the other side, where Tanya sparred with her coven-mate, Carmen. She wasn't any faster or stronger than Carmen but her technique was flawless and echoed in her every move. She used her whole body to fight off Carmen's attacks, never once allowing herself to be hit though it seemed Carmen was giving it her all in an attempt to strike her down. Their little bout ended with Tanya pinning Carmen to the ground and claiming victory before helping her to her feet.

From their vantage point Alice could see the pride dancing across her gorgeous features especially when she looked over in their direction. Her face lit up at apparently having caught their attention - or rather, having caught Bella's attention.

Alice bared her teeth when the other female smiled and winked at them before turning her back and sauntering away to spar with Carlisle. Alice could feel her own body begin to quake at the unspoken jab. She turned to Bella to comment on the display and noticed her mate's gaze was still set across the field in the direction of the woman who'd only a few hours prior challenged their bond.

She hissed low. "Did you see something you liked?"

Jealousy flared within her when Bella only smiled.

"Oh Alice, admiration is nothing to be afraid of." Alice rolled her eyes.

"Am I wrong for questioning it?" Alice asked. "You're the one that can't keep your damn eyes off of her!"

Bella chuckled and Alice bristled. "Or maybe that's what you're looking for- a mate who can defend herself. A mate that you don't have to care for or need to worry about in a fight… someone who is more experienced. You think I'm weak!"

Still furious at Bella's lack of attention, Alice continued on her tirade.

"Maybe I am but at least I know how to stay loyal!"

Bella spun towards her swinging her arm back. Alice neatly ducked out of the way without having to think about it and grasped Bella's arm and twisted it in such a way that brought her to her knees.

A hiss of pain from her mate had Alice dropping the limb instantly.

"What do you think?" Bella asked. She looked up at her with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Alice frowned at her expression and the misdirection of her thoughts.

"I think, there's more to this than you're letting on," Alice said.

"Right now, you're weak. You won't last a minute if we're separated."

Alice hissed and Bella threw up her hand.

"You said it yourself, Alice. Someday, I won't be there to protect you. I know what you're up against and it's not going to be as easy as wrapping your arms around a newborn and squeezing until they pop."

"I didn't think it would be," Alice said skirting around the absentee comment. She had made her remark about Bella not being there in a fit of anger on the train. Now, she had no doubt her mate wouldn't leave her side in a fight no matter the reason.

"Then put whatever it is that's haunting you out of your mind. Close it off and throw it behind you. It comes done to one choice that only you can make. Be weak and hold on to it or be strong, throw it away, and move on."

She took Alice's hand in her own and squeezed firmly. There was something there that Alice hadn't noticed since their training. Fear, shame, desperation. Alice wasn't sure which or if all were lurking under the surface. Alice dropped down beside her but couldn't find the words to speak.

Instead they sat together for what felt like hours, clutching each other's hands. Alice didn't like the silence. It gave her too much time to think and exhausted her resolve to keep her mind clear. She wasn't going to fall apart now. She didn't last night with her vision or at that moment with her new found memories.

She would be strong and train and prepare.

"Are you sure you don't want someone better as your mate?" Alice joked. "Someone who could move like Tanya?"

"Keep asking and maybe I'll have to give her a try."

Alice swatted her arm and Bella chuckled. She stood and pulled Alice up with her.

"Answer me then. Which do you want to be? Weak or strong?"

Alice shook her head. She dropped Bella's hands and strode to the opposite end of the meadow and dropped into a crouch. She had made her choice and now she had to live with it. It felt good to choose.

Bella nodded and took her position opposite her. Alice was sure she saw the ghost of a smile as she shouted.

"Again!"

As dusk approached they had moved past her first lesson and on to more complicated maneuvers. Alice was actually able to surprise her mate more than once and tap her on the back of her neck then dance away before she could catch her. Alice was lighter on her feet than she had ever imagined and as their sparring had them relocating to the forest she took to the trees, balancing on branches and bouncing in and out of Bella's reach.

At the moment she'd finished scaling a large oak. She crouched along a thick branch and watched Bella pace methodically below like a bird taunting a cat. Bella moved at a painfully human pace unsmiling with a twinkle in her eye.

"What's the matter Bella? Too tired to come up and get me?"

"Too tired to come down here and fight me?" Bella countered.

"I guess we're at an impasse then, darlin'," Alice crowed gleefully. She sprang forward, caught the nearest branch, and then swung herself up higher.

"You're a cocky little thing aren't ya?"

Alice shrugged. "I haven't a clue as to what you mean."

"I teach you a few moves and you think you're a full blown warrior ready to charge into battle," Bella replied. There wasn't a bit of irritation in her voice, just amusement. Alice chuckled.

"Not exactly. I feel…"

She reached up and hung by the highest branch on the tree, swinging back and forth. She scrunched up her nose and tried to rest her mind on the right word. She thought back through their training—through the grueling hours in which Bella drilled the basics of fighting into her mind. Not once since she'd made her decision to finish what she started had she felt impotent or lost. Though the memory of her change still existed and disgusted her, the shame of it wasn't as great. She felt comforted by the fact that it could never happen again. If she had met James this very instant she was sure she could handle herself or at the very least escape him. Gingerly Alice dropped back down to her branch balancing with ease.

And then there was Bella to consider.

Leaves rustled gently and without any breeze to move them Alice knew she was not alone. Her pull confirmed it as well as Bella's hands around her waist. She leaned back into her embrace a small smile curving her lips.

"Don't hold back on account of lil' ole me now," Bella chimed in her ear.

"I feel very far away from where I was this morning. Even further from where I was last night," Alice said.

"Good, that's what I was aiming for," Bella murmured. She tilted her head and ran the tip of her nose against the scars along Bella's neck. Alice inhaled the sweet scent and let the calm wash over her. She didn't even think to stop the rumble in her chest.

Bella purred against her completing the tranquil scene. They stayed that way and bathed in the vibrant indigo and magenta light of the sunset. Neither moved or uttered a word of discontent. They just breathed in each other's scents and looked at the world through their twin yellow-brown eyes. Alice imagined that this had been their first moment. Instead of James, she would have had Bella and a sure rescue from the hell her life must have been. Her imagination conjured images of a daring rescue, her change, and her awakening to only Bella's face. She wanted to wish it into existence but knew just as well that the moon followed the sun that it wouldn't have been that easy.

However they came together, they would have this moment. James be damned. They beat him either way. He was meant obviously to keep them apart physically or emotionally. And yet here they were despite it all. In just a few short hours the anger and distrust that had formed inside of Alice was beginning to crumble and give way to something more useful. Something James couldn't take away if he tried.

"You wanna know my favorite thing about you Alice?" Bella whispered into her hair. Alice grinned.

"Only one? I thought for sure it'd be two."

Bella hissed good-naturedly. "Smart ass. Now, I'm not gonna tell."

Alice spun around and grasped at empty space. Wood cracked beneath her alerting her to Bella's presence just below her. Alice crouched down and glared at her.

"Oh, you're going to tell me," Alice stated simply.

"I suppose you'll have to make me," Bella challenged. Alice grinned and dove for her. Their limbs tangled as they twisted and grappled for control along the branch. They each gasped when a sharp crack ceased their struggle and the branch they rested on fell to the ground taking them with it. They collapsed in a heap amongst a pile of colorful leaves laughing heartily beside one another.

Bella pulled Alice close until she was right on top of her. Alice immediately adjusted so that she straddled her hips and peered down into her face.

"Don't tell me I'm going to have to make you tell me," Alice half growled and laughed.

"You could make me do just about anything if you keep smiling like that," Bella said. She tucked her arms behind her head in a make shift pillow. Alice leaned forward and placed her hands on Bella's elbows bringing them face to face.

"Then let the torture begin," Alice said. She smiled widely. Bella purred and for a second everything was right as rain, that is, until Bella flipped them over. Alice gasped as the air was pushed from her useless lungs and she stared up into the furrowed expression of her mate.

"Don't ever lose focus, Alice. Not even for a second," Bella whispered. She kissed the tip of Alice's nose and helped her to her feet. Alice glared at her.

"What?" Bella asked.

Alice snorted. "Nice."

"Well you learned something didn't ya'?"

"Sometimes, Bella. Just, sometimes."

They both tensed and glanced to the east when a familiar but unrecognizable scent approached from the west. The vampire created wind kicked up leaves and blew them about the couple as the vampire in question stopped. Alice and Bella were on their feet and dropped into crouches before their intruder stopped.

"Alice! Bella!" Esme said as a warm smile turned up her lips. She grinned at them earnestly, every bit as covered in dirt as they were.

"How was your training Esme?" Alice asked from beside Bella. She took a moment to feel a little bit prideful that Bella hadn't shoved her back and tried to protect her. For a brief moment they were equals.

Esme considered them then nodded. "It was insightful! Jasper's technique is so very…"

She struggled at the words so much that her forehead creased and her smile slid into a frown. An errant memory spread out in Alice's mind about a woman telling her to watch how her face moved lest her expressions form permanent lines across her skin. When Esme smiled again she spoke in a forcibly polite tone.

"Succinct."

"You mean vicious?" Bella countered. She was pushing her buttons trying to see the real Cullen matriarch. Esme frowned again this time looking upset.

"I'm not displeased with his teachings," Esme countered easily. "It is merely a disturbing and saddening reminder each time he teaches me, of the past in which he had to endure and will have to overcome in order to be with my son. He tries so hard. They both do…as much as you do I suppose."

Her words were directed at Bella. Bella didn't appear to waver in her confidence. She simply shrugged.

"I've made peace with my past. The future is all that concerns me."

"As it should. It's very good that you've figured it out. I can't say the same for some of our members."

"You mean soldiers," Alice corrected.

Esme shook hear head, sending strands of her auburn hair over her shoulder. "We may have our differences, many of which you'll become privy to during your stay wit us, but at our core we are a family."

Bella snorted derisively. "Family? Do you know how fast Charles turned on me when he awakened?"

Alice shot her a look. Even when they were alone she barely spoke of him. Beyond their gruesome beginning in this life, Alice knew nothing of their life together at the camp. Their past few months had been so infused with her own secrets that she didn't even think to find out more about her mate. It all made her feel guilty and selfish. The chains rattled in the back of her mind and her hand shot out to take a hold of Bella's. The firm pressure she received in return quelled her panic.

"No, do you want to tell me?"

Bella flinched underneath Esme's suddenly hard stare. "No."

Alice felt the calming effect blanket her but bit back the indignant sound she intended to make when Bella squeezed her hand. This wasn't without purpose.

"Well, that's certainly your right, dear."

"I stayed with him, no one could remove me from his side, and when the three days were up I was elated to see that he'd survived the change. The excitement was cut short however when he pounced on me, snapping his teeth and growling furiously. His fingers found their way around my throat and it was a wonder that Jasper got to us as quickly as he did. He couldn't stay with me those three days. It would have been seen as an uncommon attachment that early on—a weakness. So he kept his distance. The last I saw of Charles before Maria got to him was the emptiness in his black eyes when Jasper pulled him off of me and carted him off. I knew then what little family meant in this life."

Esme stepped closer to them. A barely concealed hiss escaped from Alice's lips. Bella didn't react, not even a squeeze of her hand, just silence. Alice wondered if it meant they were on the same page after all. Esme stopped a few feet away and sent an apologetic look Alice's way. For agitating her or for Bella's pain she wasn't sure. Esme turned her focus back to Bella before Alice could really interpret it.

"I'm sorry about Charles. I'm sure once he's free of Maria you'll be able to rekindle some sort of relationship."

"It's no longer my concern," Bella said. "I can't compromise Alice to save him. He's on his own."

"The never-ending plight of the mated," Esme's voice tinkled along with the slight breeze. The sun had begun to set behind her.

"Is there anything else you needed to know?"

"No, dear. I just wanted to inform you both that we'll all be hunting this evening. We're keeping to the other parts of the forest to give you your needed space. You are aware that we only hunt animals here?"

Alice grinned at that. She couldn't say that they tasted better than humans but she would admit that it was nice to know that she didn't have to take a human life to survive. Bella nodded. "We'll keep to our side and meet you back at the house once we're done."

"You have a few hours, we'll come looking for you after midnight if you don't check in. Jasper would also like to see you, Bella, once you've returned."

Esme's form remained relaxed. Her face radiated every bit of empathy she appeared to possess. Still, it felt too simple to Alice. She had never met such a calm vampire, so rational, in control of herself. Despite the distrustful glares Esme stood straight, unflinching, and not intimidated. Genuine in her concern.

Alice couldn't comprehend it. There had to be something else at play. Some trick to the niceties on display. She remembered that Edward had been the one to greet them and bring them into the camp. Edward who attacked first and asked questions later.

With the light fading fast shadows began to expand and reclaim their territory around them. Through Alice's perfect vision she could still see the compassion etched across Esme's face but found the expression marred. She inched closer to Bella, the only being on earth that she trusted. Esme could smile and try to comfort them but it only served to remind her that she and Bella were the outsiders here. Perhaps even expendable.

"If that's all," Bella said. Alice sniffed the air and hissed lowly. Edward's footfalls followed his smell and even as he appeared a great distance away Alice slid into a crouch.

"I'll see you both later. Happy hunting!" Esme's voice was devoid of her usual cheer. Alice had only a second to rest her thoughts on it before her head began to ache. It felt as if someone were literally digging their fingers through her scalp and scratching furiously against her brain. Alice dropped to her knees and embedded her fingers in the soft earth, clawing up tufts of grass and dirt. Fear gripped her and she fought to keep her eyes open and on Bella. She tried to stay alert to their surroundings. Surely they were under attack and she couldn't leave Bella alone to face it.

She could feel Bella besides her whispering soothing words. The only ones Alice was aware of were constantly repeated, "It'll be over soon. It's just another vision. Relax."

Except it wasn't a vision it was her past, their past, all wrapped up into one convoluted visage. It felt as if these memories were being sucked out of her. As much as she was ashamed of some of them Alice tried to hold on to them, pushing against the force that foraged through her mind. Her thoughts jumped from place to place, from her time in the desert to the time in the abandoned house. Blood and gore mixed with Bella's soft laughter and her own moans of pleasure from the previous night. Alice gasped, not wanting to let these memories go. She bore down and forced herself to thing of something, anything else. She remembered Esme and her flowing auburn hair and tender smiles.

She thought of her training and how eager she was to return to their little area and begin more lessons. She thought of deciding to be strong and not weak and let out a sharp cry when the assault on her thoughts subsided.

Alice opened her eyes, unsurprised to see Bella staring down at her with a strained smile. "What was it this time? Are we doomed?"

Alice focused on the soft curves of her cheekbones leading up to her eyes which had by now returned to a dark red color. The tension drained from her body instantly. There was no threat, at least not now. Alice's head lolled to the side where Esme had been and noticed her standing only a few more feet away, watching them closely.

"Do I need to get help?" She asked and Alice wanted to snap at her. Just behind her Edward loomed with a grim look upon his face and both hands clutching his head. Alice narrowed her eyes in his direction and stifled a growl.

"No," Alice murmured. "As you know, I have visions of the future. Sometimes they can be very overwhelming."

Alice was thankful Bella kept from adding that in reality all of her visions were overwhelming.

"Then, we'll see you soon," Esme replied before turning her back on them and speeding to collect Edward who had, by then, righted himself to appear normal.

Once they disappeared from sight Bella's lax interrogation began.

"That wasn't just a vision was it?"

Alice sat up slowly and shook her head. She recounted to Bella how since they'd arrived she begun to experience aches that correlated with her thoughts switching a certain way. At first it was a minor suggestion that led to an errant thought here or there and at an appropriate time like when they were recounting how they came to be at the mansion to the others.

Today had been different. In the morning the ache returned briefly but just a few moments ago it was forceful. She described the fingers and how it seemed that it always happened when she was in Edward's presence. Alice grimaced, hiding her displeasure at having to avoid the topic of what Edward had apparently been screening for.

It took Bella all of two seconds before she threatened to erupt. Alice wrapped her arms around her waist to prevent her from standing.

"Don't!" Alice hissed. Bella whipped back around and stared at her incredulously.

"Why not? Edward is becoming a liability. If he keeps this up, attacking his allies, we'll be disbanded before Maria's army even gets here."

Alice had to admit that she had a point. Just how many times had he done this? She was sure no one else had been mentally assaulted like she'd been. Someone would have said something or there would at least have been some indication. This had to have been the first time.

"I want to find out what he's trying to find. He wants something and if you just sic Jasper on him we'll never know."

It felt wrong saying it that way but it was their situation. Jasper appeared to be the only one capable of handling Edward. A grim thought overtook her. What if he couldn't be contained? If Edward's insecurities and jealousy became more of a problem for them, would he leave? Alice guessed the real question was would Jasper make him leave. She sighed, all of it felt unimaginably horrible in some way.

Bella dropped a kiss to her forehead and nodded against her. "Are you sure? After last night…"

Alice pulled back from her, searching her eyes like she had when they met up that morning. She couldn't know. All she could find was a hint of confusion and concern that led her to believe that Bella was none the wiser to her returned memories. Of course the real tell would be that Bella wouldn't be able to contain herself if she knew. They wouldn't be here in the woods, preparing to hunt; she'd be trying to keep her mate from finding James and destroying him.

"I'm fine," Alice kept her voice firm as if she really needed the convincing. "He wants something I have up here."

Alice tapped her temple and a small smile crossed her lips. "I'm going to find out what hell it is."

It would be an excellent distraction between training. Bella pressed a kiss to her temple.

"So, animals."

"Indeed," Alice whispered. "Are you disappointed?"

"They taste horrible but I suppose it's a good alternative."

"It's nice to not have to kill."

"Killing is killing, Alice."

"I don't think so. It feels different. Killing those men at the prison versus killing the deer. I feel different after."

Bella pulled back and the observed each other silently. Alice didn't dare speak fearing that Bella felt nothing for the lives she'd taken or that it bothered her, her mate, to take human life. She could see the faces of the lives she'd ruined with perfect recall. These were memories she could never forget.

Bella leaned her forehead against hers. "Animals it is then."

Alice smiled as they rose to their feet. Alice jerked her head towards the forest and Bella took off laughing wildly.

"You didn't say we would race to dinner!" Alice called after her. She nearly trembled with excitement when bounding from tree to tree in hot pursuit. Her undead heart soared and for a moment she couldn't tell if it were their bond or any actual feeling she had for Bella. Bella's mahogany hair flew behind her as flecks of red Alice had never noticed shined in the fading light. She really was beautiful. Alice could picture her in her former life, dirty and climbing trees having less dangerous adventures of her own on her father's land. Alice couldn't help but notice that nothing had changed for her. Not really. Bella was still at heart the tomboy. Alice didn't know if she'd retained much beyond the horror of her last moments as a human but she hoped there was something left. If Bella could see it in her she hoped her mate loved it, too.

They wound their way through the forest in peace for an hour before they came upon a herd of deer in the darkness. They fed on four each until they were full and their thirst subsided. Side by side they took in the feeling of the animals' blood racing through them. Alice sighed and stretched her arms over head, rising up on the tips of her toes.

She was strong. Or at least, she felt like she could be. Invincibility became a welcome notion to her once again. As long as she had Bella. She dropped her arms to her sides and immediately found Bella's hand.

"I want to know something," Bella said as they walked back at a human pace towards the mansion.

"Alright," Alice said. She felt anxious, hoping Bella didn't ask her about her memories.

"Do you love me, Alice?"

"Apart from the bond?"

Bella inhaled a deep breath. "Are you still so sure that they're different? I'm in love with you not because I have to be."

"Then why?" Alice asked having never done so before. She'd never questioned why or what it was about her that Bella loved.

"Do you want to know what I felt when I first heard your name?"

Alice nodded.

"I felt hope, where there wasn't much to begin with. Seeing Jasper and Edward and how much they protect each other above all else—I knew from the start that I wasn't a priority. How could I be when all they saw was each other? That devotion was just as horrifying as wondrous to me. It never crossed my mind that I'd be able to have that. Not until I heard your name."

"But isn't it all a little bit constricting to know that we're sort of doomed in being bound together. I can't live without you and you without me. We're stuck and no matter how big these feelings are it's still not our choice."

"I understand why you're so concerned about choice, but have you ever considered that maybe the universe knows what it is doing? Or perhaps our bodies simply do?"

No, Alice hadn't considered it. She'd always felt that the bond was supernatural and not biological. She remembered how her body reacted to Bella at first sight. The powerful sense that although everything was strange she felt like she belonged in this life with her there. Her body responded to Bella's when she was near- always craving the feeling of her skin. Alice shook her head. It was an interesting theory but would they have loved each other if it weren't true.

"I can't say that I have."

"I didn't know that I would love you when I left that camp but I knew that I wanted you safe and that you weren't without me. I knew that I wanted you to be happy and when I heard that you were locked up in a mental institution of all places, I knew you weren't. I couldn't stand it. The protectiveness, the concern, the need to be close to you was an instinct. My love for you came after."

"When?" Alice asked just as they reached the perimeter.

Bella stopped. "The night you left me."

Alice came around to face her.

"No."

She didn't understand. That night had been so full of anger, _her_ anger, and betrayal. She didn't see how love could come of it.

"You said many things-"

"Many hateful things," Alice retorted.

"You told me that if I ever wanted to see you again then I wouldn't follow you."

"That's probably the most unromantic thing a person could say."

"Not to me. You had already admitted we'd see each other once more...that it was a possibility. I grasped onto that and held on. It was the only thing that kept me afloat when you left and my world came to a grinding halt."

Alice wasn't sure if her words were meant in that way. She remembered the anger and hate clearly. She still didn't see how it could turn to love.

"Don't you get it?" Bella said as if the answer were squarely in front of her. Alice shook her head, eyes still wide in confusion.

"The instant I removed my shield I got a glimpse of the real you."

"The angry vengeful vampire..."

"No, the broken and lost young woman who needed me to be honest with her. I saw your strength in your fury, pride in your hate, and believe it or not you look glorious when you're angry."

"Why would you say that?" Alice whispered harshly. At the edge of the property was still too close for eavesdroppers.

"Because it's true and I don't have any reason to lie to you. I love all of you, the darkness and the light."

Alice's breath hitched and held steady in her throat. There was truth in Bella's eyes and voice. So much so, that the truth threatened to crush her. Moisture slipped down her face causing her to glance up and look for rain. It never fell. She touched her cheek and didn't have to look to know that it was venom. She was crying for the first time in this life.

It was new and she was stricken by surprise that she'd never done it before. Not during her first kill or realization of Bella's lie. Never that is, until now.

"I'm sorry. I've made you unhappy, again."

Alice merely shook her head then stood on the tips of her toes and pressed their lips together. Their hands came together as well and their fingers intertwined. More tears came and soon Alice's fingers were bare and Bella's hands were cupping her face and wiping away the moisture.

When they separated it was almost painful. Alice's body quaked while she held herself together. She wished she could turn away and push down the welling emotions until she could dissect them. With Bella's hands still holding her in place, though, she was forced to stare her down while everything bubbled to the surface.

"I'm not unhappy," Alice said in a strained voice. She wasn't. Uncomfortable with facing what she'd been avoiding for so long, maybe, but sadness was the furthest thing from her mind. Bella smiled and once more Alice was swimming in a new emotion-arousal.

Her body reacted by moving closer and pressing up against Bella's lean frame. Would Bella's haughty prediction from yesterday turn out to be true? It seemed that way. Alice's body need-craved more contact with hers. She was out of excuses. Bella loved her, all of her, or at least she thought she did. Surely if she knew how her mate's life really began, she'd be less interested. That love would turn to pity.

Guilt hit her hard. How could she hold Bella to the same standards when she was here lying to her face? Bella said she loved all of her but could she love the liar in her, too?

"I need to tell you something," Alice spoke before she could rationalize her way out of it.

Bella's eyes widened which only made Alice feel worse. She was probably hoping she was going to ask to admit her love or ask to be marked. Alice pressed on, though, she needed to tell her and erase the darkness that hung over them.

The smell of lilacs invaded her nostrils and Alice choked on her words. Tanya came within a few feet of them stopping and placing her hands on her hips.

"Funny, I had something to tell Bella, as well," she said.

Alice hissed. "Can't you see we're busy?"

"You're busy jabbering on..."

"We're having a discussion!" Alice shouted. She whipped around and stalked across to Tanya, mildly aware that Bella was following close behind.

"Last time I checked, unattached vampires should never come between a mated pair!"

"Still not seeing the mark," Tanya quipped. "Mated couples are full of passion and devotion towards one another. You shouldn't be able to fight the bond. To me, that means it must be very weak."

"Oh trust me, weak isn't the word to use for it," Alice growled. "I'm not sure if its loneliness, insanity, or possibly a penchant for a death wish but you can back off and leave Bella alone. She's mine!"

"Bella deserves a mate that's worthy of her reputation," Tanya said. "And honey, a child with a big mouth isn't it."

"I'm warning you, Tanya," Alice said in the calmest voice possible.

"Alice," Bella's lips were at her ear distracting her. A delicate shudder cut through her. "You have nothing to fear, you know that."

Alice sent a glare in Tanya's direction. "It's not you I don't trust."

"Good to know," Bella murmured. "Why don't you take care of the project we were talking about earlier and I'll see what Tanya wants."

Alice snorted. "I think we both know what she wants. You just see to it that she doesn't get it."

Bella chuckled. "I'll meet you back at the room after I talk with Jasper. You can tell me what you wanted to say in private."

Alice nodded. At Tanya's victorious smirk Alice sent the Denali woman a sweet smile before turning and kissing Bella full on the lips. Her hands slid up Bella's shoulders and neck to grasp fistfuls of her thick hair. Bella's arms wove around her body holding her close. Alice lost herself in the softness of Bella's lips and sense of urgency this knowledge brought. She wanted to taste and feel more, which was why when Bella's tongue traced her lower lip she granted her access. Bella took control and Alice let her, not only because it would show Tanya that Bella wanted her but because it felt too damn good to put a stop to it.

"Are you quite done, child?" Tanya's impatient voice broke through the heady heat that she'd been plunged into.

Alice smirked against Bella's lips and held a finger up behind her. She punctuated their kiss with a slight peck at the corner of Bella's mouth that left a smile in its wake.

"Darlin' if I'd known making you jealous was the way to provoke that type of reaction-"

"Save it," Alice hissed. She could hear Tanya tapping her foot.

"Count on it," Bella responded. "Tanya, would you like to walk the perimeter with me?"

"Well, it is Edward and Garrett's night running watch but I could stretch my legs some," Tanya all but purred.

With the fresh memory of their kiss swimming in Alice's head the younger vampire simply smiled and sauntered past Tanya.

"I'll see you in our room later," she called out over her shoulder refusing to look back as she ran fighting the images of Tanya trying to seduce her mate.

Alice slowed down as she approached the mansion and almost cautiously scanned the area. This wasn't the first time she'd been separated from Bella but without her rage to displace the uncomfortable jerk of her pull she had to take several deep breaths to calm herself. Bella would be back soon. Bella was safe. Everything was alright.

More sure of herself Alice entered the mansion through a side door that led to the very clean and obviously unused kitchen. Alice wondered what could provoke a house full of vampires to keep a kitchen, let alone clean it.

She moved from the empty room to the hall she recognized from the previous evening. Soft voices came from the room to her left. It wasn't the study, which she remembered being four doors down. This was a smaller sitting room with plush chairs and a card table. Three chairs surrounded the table and seated on them were Kate, Eleazar and Esme.

Alice watched from the doorway as the blonde, freshly bathed in a flowery scent and dressed in a new dress, laid out a hand of cards and squealed excitedly.

"I win!"

Eleazar rolled his eyes and tossed his cards face down on the table.

"You're cheating," he stated plainly. "I know all of your tricks Kate."

"Oh really?" Kate purred innocently. She pouted her lips. "Which did I use this time?"

Alice almost laughed at the flustered expression on Eleazar's face. He looked as if steam could come out of his ears at any moment. If he were human his face would have been tomato red.

"Oh, Eleazar," Esme grinned. "Kate just got a good hand."

"A good last ten hands!"

"Tsk, tsk, Eleazar. I think Carmen finds sore losers unattractive."

"Come now, Kate, no need to gloat," Esme admonished while staring directly at her. It was Kate's turn to roll her eyes. "I do have this one trick...ah..hey..wait...Esme!"

Eleazar's eyes brightened. "Ha! There! I knew it!"

"No fair Esme. Are you sure you're not using your gift during the game?"

"If I were I'd certainly be winning, I'd be able to call your bluff. Wouldn't you think so, Alice?"

Kate shrugged and in time with Eleazar looked in Alice's direction. Alice began backing away from the door. That's what Bella was testing earlier, Esme's supposed non-existent gift.

"Well don't just stand there with your mouth gaping open," Esme chided her. "Speak up."

Alice swallowed thickly. "I don't suppose you would lose with a gift like that, Esme."

"Excellent. At least someone here is seeing to reason."

"I don't recall you mentioning your gift last night."

"Well, it's a very personal thing," Esme stated. "Hence, why Eleazar only mentioned that he Kate and Tanya had gifts, not what they were."

"I guess I already knew that. Bella mentioned Maria likes collecting gifted vampires."

"As do the Volturi," Eleazar spoke up.

"But you already know my gift."

"Yes, you're what they call a seer," Eleazar responded. "Though, I would have known without anyone having to tell me."

Feeling brash Alice stepped forward. "And why is that?"

"I can sense the gifts vampires have."

Alice shrugged. "Is that how you fool people into thinking you can help them manage their gifts?"

"It's no trick, unlike Kate's card playing."

"Then how do you explain Edward?"

Esme diverted her gaze. She began busying herself with shuffling the cards and eventually dealt them.

"That's a question for Edward. I will say that I've helped many who have truly wanted and were ready to receive my assistance."

"Is that your pitch to fix me? Because it is seriously lacking. I've seen what your help brings."

"Have you? Edward is not the only one in this house I've coached."

Alice quirked an eyebrow. Though it wasn't a stretch to believe she didn't believe any of them were above lying. They hadn't earned her trust yet and she wasn't eager to give it.

"I can provide an excellent character reference!" Kate pointed out with a bright smile. Alice wanted to believe she wasn't being facetious.

"I'm looking for Edward. I heard he was on patrol."

Esme brightened. "On the eastern side of the property he's overseeing the edge of the forest on the south end."

"Thank you."

Alice turned her back on them intent on putting as much distance between Eleazar's probing eyes and herself. His voice as smooth as velvet called out to her as she exited.

"Success in my theories has nothing to do with me but has everything to do with you."

"I'll remember that," Alice called back and picked up her speed. Her brisk walk turned into a run. The whoosh of air that followed her knocked a painting off the wall and sent an ornate vase crashing to the floor.

Outside of the house she thought she heard Esme's voice shout sharply, "No running in the house!" Or, she could have been mistaken.

She raced along to the south end of the property not seeing Edward at first. Her guard up, she sniffed the air and only came up with the scent of the pine trees around her. Edward could be anywhere. It made sense to place him here where his scent mingled in with nature. Alice searched out the other underlying scent he carried, the more distinct one- mint.

She stopped just a few feet behind him. He sat on the ground staring endlessly into the forest with his knees pulled up and his arms braced against them. It didn't seem to be a very good defensive position. If she attacked him now she'd have surprise and readiness on her side. He'd be on the ground in seconds.

"Would you like a rematch, Alice?" His voice called out softly. He didn't acknowledge her in any other way.

"Do you?" She countered steeling herself for his potentially volatile response.

"Not at the moment, no," he replied. She circled along to his left to take in his expression and was shocked to see how hollow he looked. His eyes were almost black and yet he was sitting here so calmly. Too calmly. In fact, Alice took a step away from him in an effort to be prepared for whatever would come at her.

"You don't have anything to be afraid of Alice. It's not you I'm upset with."

"Would you like to tell me?"

"No."

Alice sighed. This was going smoothly. Then again she hadn't thought Edward would be an easy nut to crack.

"I assume you have questions about today," he said. For the first time he craned his neck to look up at her. She approached him slowly.

"Am I to assume you having some answers?"

"Yes, though, I'm not sure you'll like them."

"I think that's a sure bet," Alice said. She smiled a little to ease the tension building in her. Edward had been poking around in her head for the past twenty four hours and now she was finally going to find out why.

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><p>AN: I hope you enjoyed the update and it wasn't too long for you! There's nothing I love more than to hear from you guys. So please show me some love in the form of constructive criticism! :)


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: I'm so sorry this is so late! I'm a terrible terrible person for leaving you guys hanging! Moving cross country is a bitch and a half but I'm all settled now and I couldn't wait to get this chapter out to you guys. Some of you will be pleased with the progression some of you won't but I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! The next one will be longer! Also, as I couldn't wait to put this out there I'm posting this unedited. I've scanned through it several times but my beta hasn't had a chance to look through it yet. Once she does, a more refined copy will replace this one. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I apologize for all of the mistakes! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: You know that I know that you know that I own absolutely nothing having to do with Twilight. If you thought I did then you're off your rocker!

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><p>Bella's fingers stretched and curled reflexively into her palm as nightfall descended on them. Evenings own personal chorus struck up in a divinely natural blend. She separated each noise hoping to hear a gentle sigh in the distance but only caught the clear chirps and croaks buried in the grass. Alice was on the southeastern side of the property. That, Bella could feel just as easily as the blades of grass between her toes.<p>

The tepid tug of her pull weighted her down. That she knew Alice's general location soothed her anxiety as well as struck a nerve. In the most possessive sense she should have been near her. Close enough to brush her hair out of her face kiss her soft lips, to protect her from any harm. Bella smiled and touched her own lips where Alice had punctuated her resolute point just mere moments ago. Her small claim had sent a current of pleasure thrumming through Bella, pulsating like a heart beat even after her exit. Bella inhaled a deep breath and caught the remnants of Alice's scent mingled with Tanya's pungent lilac.

She could get to her quickly if she were in danger. She could feel that she was safe and sound. Alice was fine. Bella relaxed if only slightly.

"You must be glad to be rid of her if only for a little while," Tanya said. Bella rolled her eyes skyward.

If Tanya's presence hadn't been a simple source of jealousy for Alice she wouldn't have kept her mouth shut so long. In fact, had Alice shown a shred of genuine hurt over the issue that was Tanya Denali, the other woman would have been at the very least shaken from her childish fantasies. At the most she would have been a pile of ash on the floor. Bella spun on her heel and looked Tanya in the eyes.

"I am not, nor will I ever be, glad to be rid of Alice. If I ever were, rid of her as you say, completely and utterly, I think you and I both know I'd be truly dead."

Tanya's eyebrows shot up and her teeth clawed at her lower lip. She glanced to the southern end of the property, unable, just as Bella was, to see anything beyond the trees. Bella didn't know if she could smell Alice but the hardened glare that crossed her impeccable features caused a growl to build within her chest.

They were the same height and yet Tanya looked frailer. Bella chalked it up to her own years of climbing trees and running around like a wild boy than the delicate young lady she was supposed to be. She didn't mistake for one moment Tanya's infirmity for weakness. She'd seen the other woman fight and even if it had only been training she was sure some of it came from experience.

Tanya was old in the years she'd walked the earth. It was ingrained in her confidence and prowess. Most of all, Bella had noticed that in moments like the one they currently shared the other woman simply looked tired as if she were incapable of holding up the impossibly large façade any longer and wished for some sort of relief. Bella didn't know for sure and didn't particularly care to find out. They weren't friends, only allies for battle. She needed Tanya's help in keeping herself and Alice alive and in that regard it wouldn't do to anger her but the animosity towards Alice had to end.

"Am I to believe that you're still harboring thoughts of that little runt as your mate?" Tanya's accent barreled through the words making them sound gruffer. Bella smiled.

"How old are you Tanya?" Bella asked innocently.

Tanya shrugged. "I was turned at the age of 17."

"When?"

Tanya bristled. "1597 is the first year I remember."

Bella grinned at having her suspicions confirmed. "I suspected as much. You wear your age very well."

Tanya's eyes sparkled in the moonlight completely won over by the complement. Bella could see in her golden fathoms and smug smile that she thought she was the perfect catch of a vampire. Strong, nearly irresistible, powerfully skilled in combat—and talented to boot. But she was not and never would be _her_ mate and all that mattered was that she knew it well enough to leave her and Alice alone.

"I'm only going to say this once. I don't hate you. You're a good fighter. You're smart. Obviously beautiful, apparently gifted, and could be a great help to our fight against Maria."

Tanya lifted her chin and smiled at her triumphantly. She thought she had won. She had convinced Bella that Alice wasn't a suitable choice for her. What the centuries old twit didn't get was that she wasn't capable of making a choice in the matter. Alice was hers and she belonged to Alice. In that one singular way mating was simple, succinct, and limited. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

"I don't want to kill you, mainly, because it'll cause too many problems in our new alliance," Bella continued. She smirked at Tanya's unfettered scowl and unabashed hiss.

"If I have led you to believe that I may be interested in you I apologize. Your presence has been a great help to getting Alice to see what I couldn't make her see on my own. It ends there. I harbor no attraction towards you, only Alice. I love her, more than my own life. That is apart of what mating is. I would die for her happiness and I won't stand for anyone making her unhappy. You, Tanya, seem to relish in doing just that."

"You want me to stop antagonizing the runt, is that it?"

"Her name is Alice, be sure to remember that. And yes, I would like for you refrain from bothering her."

"Or what?"

"You know my reputation. What I did under Maria's helm. You know exactly what I can and will do."

Tanya snorted and just like that her mask of superiority fell. Bella shook her head. "Say it. Out loud so that we're on the same page."

"I'll avoid angering your little Alice," Tanya spat her name as if it were something dirty. "And here I had such high hopes."

"For what?"

"Us. When I heard that you were a shield I thought it was a perfect opportunity."

"I don't understand."

"You've heard of the legend of the succubus?"

Bella nodded. Childhood stories of witches that seduced and killed men entered her mind. Bella felt a sharp tug on her pull and turned sharply towards the south. She took a step in that direction, consciously aware of the potential need to run. Alice was moving further away at a slow pace. Bella hissed but forced herself to stay still. The first time she and Alice had been separated their bond had been both a comfort and a curse. Initially, she felt slightly uncomfortable but the further Alice had moved away from her the more panicked she became. Her mind became numb to all except Alice's absence. Now, she felt the panic rise then subside. Alice had moved back, closer to her. She hoped it meant that she was feeling the same thing.

Bella turned back to Tanya. "You're the original succubus?"

Tanya nodded. "People are more attracted to me than to a normal vampire. It's a sort of magnetism as Carlisle calls it. Eleazar believes humans can't resist me and as a result are more than happy to cater to my whims. Vampires just as naturally gravitate towards me. It's something I can't help or turn off. Often times I'm unsure if it's me that they love or my gift."

Bella sighed. She could see the problem and how it could get tiring after a while. Sympathy ate at her. How must it be to walk the earth for decades not knowing if the love you shared were real or fabricated?

"I stopped trying to find a mate because every vampire I come across seems to think we're destined if they're not already mated. I've only been with one other person with which I knew where I stood. His senses were unique enough that he was able to avoid my magnetism and know me. I had hoped that your mental ability would allow us to be on equal ground. It made sense that my mate be able to see the real me."

Bella pursed her lips. She didn't need to be an empath to feel Tanya's loneliness. It was terrible. She couldn't think of life without Alice now and remembered life before knowing she existed. She wouldn't wish it on anyone.

"I don't have any answers for you. There must be other people like me in the world who can see you. You've already met one. Maybe you'll see him again and you can pick up where you left off."

Tanya laughed throatily. "I haven't seen him in one hundred years. Besides, we would have known."

"So you do understand."

"I always have, but without the marking, I did wonder."

"Mating is never easy, especially, when gifts get in the way. Try again, you might be surprised."

"I never pegged you for an optimist, Isabella Swan."

"Bella. I'm not an optimist but odds are that you'll meet again sooner or later."

"You sound like Carlisle."

Bella scowled. "Don't say that."

She glanced in Alice's direction again. Her pull intensified. She was distressed.

"You can feel her can't you?"

"Yes. She's not happy."

Tanya held up her hands in mock surrender. "At least you know I'm not to blame!"

"Don't worry, you're safe. I can't say the same for our one bronzed haired individual."

"Go easy on him. He's-"

"Had it rough? So I've heard. He's someone else who won't survive if he keeps antagonizing Alice."

"I'm not going to pretend that I'm not disappointed. On paper, at least, you and I would be quite a match."

Bella smiled as an errant memory of her father drifted through her thoughts. They'd sat by the fire in the woods warming their hands quietly. She didn't remember the conversation or why they were in the forest to begin with. She did recall the gravely sound of his voice that struck both a sickening a warming chord within her.

"Funny, thing about what goes on the paper. It doesn't always look too good in real life."

Bella shrugged and stepped away from her then. She crossed the gap between her and the house in seconds and stopped before passing it by. Her bond closed around her, enveloping her in a short lived calm. She breathed deeply then growled as she came closer. Alice sat atop of Edward screaming and gripping her head before she toppled over into the grass. Edward crawled over to her and shook her violently. Bella closed in on them her intent set the instant she had recognized Alice's screams.

Jasper's scent, which reminded her of morning dew and freshly cut tobacco leaves, drew her attention towards the house. Bella willed herself into complete stillness and tilted her head to the side in question. Jasper stood across from her glaring in her direction. She recognized the warning immediately.

Go after Edward and Jasper would be forced to act. She hesitated only in her thoughts of how to get him away from the scene. She couldn't have Alice caught up in the fight no matter how hard her mate might want to join in and defend her. Alice's safety came first. Edward's head permanently attached to a silver platter second. Jasper's rage third. She was faster than him and could remove Alice and disable Edward before Jasper could stop her. One move for two purposes was all she needed. One minute.

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><p>Alice curled her toes into the grass, inhaled the scent of the freshly turned up earth, and stared out into the forest. She had long since abandoned attempts to pin point what Edward was looking at. To her eyes there was nothing but foliage.<p>

By the way Edward's black eyes had glazed over she would have bet that he didn't see anything either. Her toes curled into the soil again and this time she dug deeper until a heavy mound arose. The silence was uncomfortable in a dangerous sort of way. In the moments since her arrival she'd come to two conclusions. One, they had both, unwittingly on her part and consciously on his, placed themselves and their mates in a precarious situation.

An act of revenge on Edward would bring Jasper down on her and Bella upon Jasper. Their tentative alliance with the Cullen's would be destroyed. If they survived they'd always be running and Bella would never be able to help Charles. Despite her earlier indifference, it mattered to her that he was trapped and being used. She could feel Bella's shame and guilt through their bond. If she didn't at least attempt to right the wrong of turning Charles and leaving him behind she'd bear that burden forever.

Alice dug her toes deeper and sighed. There was no going back. They needed the Cullen's as much as they needed them.

The first step to strengthening that relationship was to mend fences with Edward, no matter how much it pained her.

Edward shifted beside her and Alice grimaced. She felt his stare and grit her teeth as his melodic voice broke their uncomfortable silence.

"I want you to know that I believe you and Bella are mates."

Alice refused to look at him. Instead she focused on flipping the dirt mound over onto his leather shoes. She sniffed the air and the faint slip of Bella's scent on the breeze along with Tanya's. Her jaw clenched. Her entire frame went ridged. Bella would never touch Tanya with a ten-foot pole. She'd never let Tanya touch her. Doubt fluttered across her consciousness. She bit into her lower lip to focus on the pressure, anything but what her mate and Tanya were doing right then.

Edward sighed. "You're right. We do need each other more than we'd like to think. Bella's experience and your gift are incredible assets."

"What's convinced you of that? Our mating?"

Edward's clothing rustled when he moved and tapped her temple with two of his fingers.

Alice hissed and was on her feet instantly.

"Haven't you picked over my thoughts enough for today?" She said through bared and clenched teeth.

Edward continued on unperturbed.

"You think of her feelings, her needs, and only that. Sure your wants and desires enter into the fray but you don't consider them in the conflict, not really. She's in your thoughts even now as you're desperately trying to wrap your mind on reconciling our differences for her benefit."

"It helps me, too." She snapped.

"But it's the intent that matters most. You intend to keep her safe, happy, whole. Even when you should be falling apart. Which you can do Alice. I did and over much less."

She wanted to pummel him. Reduce his face to tiny pebbles and then to ash. He was making assumptions and pulling things from her he shouldn't have. Like it was his right to know things she would rather keep secret.

"You should also know that I can't turn it off, my gift that is. Like Jasper, I'm always hearing peoples thoughts whether I want to or not, just as he is always feeling and projecting emotions."

"You'd think someone his age would exert more control. The major doesn't seem to be capable of living up to his reputation."

The air whipped about when he closed the gap between them. Alice imagined Bella could feel her anxiety and would immediately go on alert. Even with Tanya there trying to distract her.

Bella! Alice gnawed on her lower lip and tried to shut herself down to the barrage of jealousy and irritation. Alice whipped around in the direction she'd come from.

Tanya was so much different from her. Her body curved where Alice's did not. Her hair was luxuriously kept while Alice hadn't had a single complete day without some bit of grass in it. Her smile was radiant, powerful, while Alice was sure her own was not. Tanya had walked for more than a century on this earth and carried her experience well. Not to mention her gift, whatever it was. Alice's spirits sunk. How could she ever compare to her. How could she even consider it possible?

And she'd left her alone with Bella to walk the perimeter so far away from her. Where she couldn't hear. Where she couldn't place herself between them. Alice growled. She had to close that gap! She closed her eyes and the muscles in her jaw contracted causing her teeth to snap together viciously. She trusted Bella. This reminder only set her nerves on edge. Just how long did they need to talk anyway? She felt the tug of her bond. Bella was still far from the house.

Her mind raced with possibilities, most of which involved Tanya tracing Bella's collarbone with her full lips. Bella would never let the other woman touch her that way. Alice repeated the words in her skull but no good came of it. Only the lacerating image of Tanya pressing her lush body against her mate remained.

Alice shrieked. Bella was hers! She belonged to no one else! She had made a mistake in leaving her side and it needed to be corrected immediately.

She set off away from Edward and let her pull guide her already feeling the satisfaction of sinking her fingers into Tanya's throat and silencing her once and for all.

Alice heard Edward's footsteps and smiled grimly. If he wanted a fight she'd give it to him. No one would stop her from obliterating the threat that was Tanya Denali.

She pivoted backwards, swung her arm out, and then caught him in the back of the head as he dove for her. His loss of balance enabled her to climb on him and spur him to the ground. They crashed together and just as quickly Alice felt the white-hot pain in her skull. She rolled off of him and gripped her head.

The chains rattled. James' lips were at her ear.

_"You're mine, Alice. Remember that."_ His voice was louder this time as if her were hovering above her once more.

"Alice!" Edward screamed.

They were a few feet from the house and it was as if the whole world stood still to recognize their struggle. Only she wasn't struggling. Not anymore. The pain had ceased but she no longer felt the ground beneath her. Alice opened her eyes to a darkness that she was plummeting through. Words reverberated around her as if bouncing rapidly from the invisible walls of her confines.

"C'mon Chief, I've seen kids dying of this faster than you can blink. What's another pine box between us and our business and you and your money?"

"Nothing at all."

Alice pivoted and faced her descent. Fear pierced right through her anger when a man's screams surrounded her and soon subsided into growls and hisses.

"He doesn't understand, Carlisle. He won't be like I was he didn't choose this!"

Alice groped along the invisible walls for some kind of purchase to stop her falling. The walls pushed back, closing in around her and funneling her body down a narrow space that rattled the chains in the back of her mind.

"We've come on behalf of Maria, leader of the Southern Territories. We have business to discuss." Jasper's velvet voice signaled a gradual stop in her descent. She slid more deliberately through the passage and into reality where darkness surrounded her still. She scooted back, shoving up packs of dirt in her wake, in an effort to distance herself from the heap on the ground that was Edward Cullen. With fistfuls of dirt he growled and struggled weakly to his feet.

Alice felt a short burst of satisfaction that he felt weak after using his gift. She could dispose of him easily.

The wind shifted in her direction and Jasper's warm scent hit her like a bucket of ice water. She looked about and settled on his frame near the house standing in a ready position. Her bond prodded at her hazy senses and she whirled about to set her gaze on Bella standing at an equal distance from them, also prepared. Bella's gaze alternated between Jasper and her.

Her presence soothed her. She was here. For her. Alice inhaled her scent like a plant sucked in water after a draught. The fight went out of her instantly.

"It would seem that neither of our mates trust us to be alone and not kill each other," Edward said in a tone full of mirth. Alice blew out a short breath and laughed as well.

She faced him again and was surprised to see him on his knees with his head in his hands. She crouched down a few feet before him unwilling to be too close in case their impasse was temporary.

"It would appear so."

"Now you've seen inside of my mind as I have seen yours."

"Was that your way of distracting me?"

"It was my way of making you indebted to me for long enough to listen," Edward said. Alice cocked her head to the side.

"Indebted to you for what exactly?"

"If I hadn't stopped you, Tanya's limbs would be littering the property and you would have marked Bella and not in the way you want to."

Alice snorted. "So you're clairvoyant now, too?"

Edward merely tapped his temple. "You had thought it out as clearly as we're talking now. You wanted to take what's yours and I know the feeling all too well."

"Surely," Alice drew out the word in mock disbelief. His mating to Jasper wasn't nearly as complicated as hers was to Bella.

"Someday, I'll show you exactly how complicated it was. For now, all you need to know is that we spent as many months apart as you did from Bella. The only difference is I had to watch him copulate with your mate daily."

Alice hissed lowly at the reminder. "You knew what was happening. He didn't love her."

"Just as Bella doesn't love or even remotely think of Tanya?"

Alice sighed. "So you were consumed with your need to mark and be marked."

"I was consumed with ripping her head off and bathing in her venom. She had no choice but eventually I grew to not concern myself with it. It was irrational and she didn't understand at the time. So we fought as only a newborn vampire and a mated vampire marking his territory would fight."

"What about now? When we met you tried to attack her again!"

"I have some residual feelings about the past. Jasper and I are only now finding our way back to each other. As irrational as it sounds each time I look at her I remember those nights in the tent when Jasper had to prove that Bella was his pet and not to be harmed by Maria or anyone else. Sometimes it's all I see when I see her face."

"She's not after him."

"How can she be when she's so deeply in love with you?"

Alice choked on her words. She felt her pull adjust for Bella's movements towards Jasper. She watched her pull him away from the scene.

"Because of some biological mess."

"Because she was built to love you and you to love her. It's just the way it is. Look at me."

Alice switched her gaze to Edward's upturned face. "What did you come to me tonight for? You came to find out why I was digging around through your thoughts. Now all you're concerned with is that I don't harm your Bella."

Alice cursed and rocked back onto the soft ground. "I don't understand any of this at all. I can't move without thinking of her. She's become everything to me and I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask to be turned into a vampire. I didn't get a vote then and now all of a sudden I have to be with her because I can't help myself."

"Because you love her. I can see your thoughts Alice, even the ones you're hiding from yourself."

"It's not fair."

"No, it isn't. I woke up after nearly being murdered in my hospital bed to Esme hanging over me. Not that she's not an entirely pleasant sight to see but I was just as mortified at what I was as you were. I didn't choose it. I was angry for a while that Carlisle had taken my life into his hands. Eventually I learned to live with it and understand his motivations. He gave me a second chance at life and I got to meet Jasper. I could never give that up."

"I can't give Bella up. I'd like to believe she's better off with someone else like Tanya but it sends anger barreling right through me. Being apart from her is devastating. Her happiness is all I feel like I need to survive and it scares me. I don't even know who I am and I'm lost without her."

Edward smiled. "You're a person who beat the odds. I saw what James did to you. I'm sorry that's how you were changed. For what it's worth I think if Bella had gotten to you first you'd feel a lot better about this life."

"Why did you go through my thoughts?" Alice asked after a moment of silent consideration.

"I was jealous. At first I felt like Bella didn't deserve the happy ending I thought she'd received. I thought she got to meet her mate and fall in love with her with no complications. I didn't think she deserved it after she'd been in the middle of Jasper and I for so long."

"You can't blame her for that."

"It was easier than blaming Jasper."

"You knew he loved you though."

"I didn't. Not back then, anyway. Bella was weeks old when he came to us demanding that we return to speak with Maria about our territory and her expansion. I felt something immediately when I saw him and after Esme had her outburst about Carlisle going alone as our leader I stepped in to go as a representative. Jasper was stricken. He argued against it, demanding that it be our coven leader but it was decided. I would go in Carlisle's stead. That's when things became unbearable."

"How so?"

"He was angry in the days leading up to our arrival at Maria's camp. He insulted me, copulated with the other members of his group whenever we stopped to hunt. He threatened me anytime I tried to get close enough to explain what I felt. By the time we reached Maria's camp I was a wreck. He sent the others ahead to announce our arrival and kept me a few miles out to lay down the ground rules of my visit. I expected more resentment. I didn't expect him to embrace me."

"I don't understand."

"Neither did I until he explained how things worked in Maria's camp. She doesn't favor mating in the sense that if she catches wind of it she kills the pair instantly. Jasper explained her gift and the limitations mating imposed on it. There is no bond greater than that of two mated vampires. She can't get around it and shift loyalties. Once one under her influence is mated she loses her control over them. Jasper realized this after we met and it was why he argued with me. Maria would never let him go willingly and she'd never have let me live if she figured out what we were to each other. There was no going back either. The others already knew my face and without a representative from our coven there she would have moved in on our territory without a second thought."

"So you went with him. Knowing you had to hide this secret?"

"Yes. I would have done anything to stay with him especially after I saw what she was capable of doing."

Edward hesitated and Alice bristled. "If we're going to understand each other we need to see where the other is coming from. You've seen my past."

Edward furrowed his eyebrows as if he were making a grand decision. Alice narrowed her eyes at him.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"Our first night in the camp set the course of events into action. Jasper saw what Maria had done to Bella. As her sire he was already enraged. When she made a play for me it was all he could do to calm himself. It was difficult. We knew of our mating and the emotions that came with it. That instinctual need to claim your mate burned inside of us. You and Bella were without other vampires for most of your first months together. Unmated vampires daily surrounded us. The weight of it was claustrophobic to say the least. There was a choice to be made. Save Bella or save ourselves. I knew it would kill him to leave her behind in Maria's care again. So, I told him that there had to be a way to get us all out safely."

"You still left her behind!"

"Maria knew, probably from the start that something was wrong. Either I was his mate or Jasper had met someone along the way. The relationship between Bella and Jasper was born as a way to keep us safe from her scrutiny. At first she didn't doubt it but as she frequently threw them together it became entirely too uncomfortable for me. It was irrational. I knew what was happening and why but each time they walked together, talked, touched, kissed—I was enraged. In my mind he was mine and she was nothing. One morning I lost control and attacked her after she kissed him in front of his tent. We tore through the camp during our fight and nearly went off the side of a cliff before Jasper stopped us. We had to leave. Maria was suspicious and if we all left at once she'd know something was amiss. At least as an equally injured party Bella would be left alone for a while until Maria calmed down. By that time Charles was coming into his own state of mind as a vampire. He's a shield like Bella and he piqued Maria's interest. Bella was able to leave shortly after under the guise of a scouting mission gone wrong. Maria must have suspected that as well."

"That's why James came to me." Alice felt sick. Even though she knew it was impossible for her to vomit she had to take several deep breaths to calm herself. She had known to a degree that James could have come after her to head Bella off. To punish her mate for leaving Maria's camp.

"He was a dedicated member of her army when I met him. I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"You don't blame her do you?"

Alice glared at him. Who was he to be defending Bella to her now? Him of all vampires. His empathetic sigh ruffled her even further. What else was he gleaning from her frazzled thoughts?

"I won't tell you what to do," Edward said. "It's not my place."

Alice snorted derisively. At least something good had come of this.

"I blamed Jasper for months after what happened. Our exit wasn't as smooth as it could have been and we were hunted as much if not more than you and Bella. We said and did things I can't even imagine experiencing now."

"You should be arriving to a point soon," Alice snapped. Edward stiffened clearly miffed at her lack of reciprocal empathy. Alice hazarded a curt nod in his direction. She stuffed her hand in her hair and yanked at the snarled strands.

She felt tired. Sleep would never come to her but the familiar attributes of exhaustion set in to her nerves like an old friend shaking hands.

"Sometimes we can't help the things that happen to us but we can help what we do next. Bella tried to see to what you needed when you were changed. It was misguided maybe but you survived it. Do you think any of this is how she would have liked to meet you? Fall in love with you? I highly doubt it."

"Anymore grand advice?" Alice asked. Edward considered her for a moment then shook his head. She couldn't feel him picking over her thoughts and supposed it really was natural for him to hear them. The painful part came when he forced the information out. Alice slid her palms up and down her bare arms soothing her own frazzled nerves.

Edward turned his back on her and started off towards the house at a human pace that surprised her. As comfortable as Edward was with this life now and considering the space they had, she expected him to blur out of sight with the blink of her eyes. His slow plodding provoked one last question out of her and she haggled with herself for a moment before asking him out loud. She supposed he heard her internal bargaining before her chiming tones but ignored that fact in the face of his answer.

"Does Bella know how I was really changed?"

As soon as the words left her mouth she wanted to suck them right back in. His answer would either continue their slight reprieve from the darkness of her past or shatter it completely. The numbness that had begun to form in the pit of her stomach plied at the truth she didn't entirely want to know.

Edward turned on his heels and looked straight into her eyes an unwavering sadness in his golden orbs. "Yes. As early as last night."

Alice didn't breathe. She didn't cry out or sink to her knees. Her fingers only twitched in the aftermath of the knowledge seeping fully into her consciousness. In some small way, probably through the bond, she felt she already knew. It was too easy to believe that she could have kept her memories quiet in her mind. How much her mate had heard or merely pieced together didn't matter. Bella knew of her rape. She knew of her change. She was aware of just how tarnished her precious mate was.

Alice opened her mouth but no sounds were emitted into the warm night air. Edward was long gone. Alice was alone in the field surrounding the Cullen mansion. Somewhere inside was Bella listening to Jasper's battle plans. Their room, in the east wing of the home was where they would meet later to discuss their findings. Only Alice had no desire to go over how she had been beaten and bloodied in her last few moments of life as a human. Not in that house.

She inhaled slowly and shallowly then drew one foot back and pivoted on the other before she shoved off from the ground and ran pushing down her cowardice and letting out an unstoppable roar.

Their bond tugged harshly and she was nearly wrenched backwards. She could see nothing, hear nothing, and feel nothing but the hard pressed ache in her chest. Onward she pressed unable to keep track of the vast territory of her allies. She could be trespassing on anyone's land, although she doubted it and could muster enough sense to care. She dared anyone to place themselves in her way.

The pain in her chest lessened. She was no longer alone. She needed nothing other than the sharp tug here and there to prove it to her. Bella was on her trail just barely keeping up with her newborn speed.

The wind whistled and wiped out her strangled sobs leaving behind the crack of wood and thumps of her feet. She had slowed down considerably due to some command her brain had given she wasn't aware of. She had to admit some part of her wanted to be caught while the rest of her worried about the instant in which she was. She hadn't a second left to ponder the dissonance. Her feet carried her down into a valley of destroyed trees and cool water. The rush of the latter calmed her nerves slightly. The last time she'd run from Bella water had been her home.

She pushed off from the ground at the final step and dove straight for it anticipating the smooth rush of silken rapids against her skin. Her stomach folded on Bella's impact a second later and her descent rapidly declined from level to erratic. Her legs pumped through the air and her arms wove around Bella's hard body until they were wrenched apart and shoved behind her back.

They'd crashed together into the water hissing and snarling in a flurry of animalistic jerks. Bella had won and straddled her waist whilst pinning her arms above her head. They were pressed against jagged rocks that tore her dress and scratched her back.

Despite her defeat, Alice bucked and in her last futile attempt at defiance screamed, unleashing month's worth of pain in a single burst.

Bella stared back at her, nonplussed and unwilling to budge—solid in her resolve. She wasn't going anywhere. Alice felt her body go limp. She slumped forward and braced her forehead against Bella's. The water cascaded around them and she didn't need to look to know they were beside a waterfall. The current swiped at her dress causing the fabric to tickle her thighs and billow around her arms.

"Do you ever wonder what life would have been like?" Alice asked after a moment of solitude.

"No."

Alice was surprised to hear the offense in her mate's voice. She looked into her steadily darkening eyes and wondered what color they were when she was human and if the differences would have stopped there. Their love couldn't have lasted then.

"No regrets right?" Alice asked. Water trickled down her face and traced her cheekbones to her lips. She laughed bitterly already knowing the answer.

"My only regret it that I didn't get to you sooner. I put my sire first for the last time and it will never happen again."

Alice jerked back to stare into desperate eyes and felt just as lost as Bella looked.

"Y-You can't blame yourself!"

"Can't I?" Bella said then smiled sadly.

"If I had left the moment I knew you existed I could have saved you this pain. Surely, James is to blame for his part in this, and someday soon he'll pay dearly for that part, but if I had just gone to you I could have—"

"No!" Alice shouted. "You couldn't have known."

"I knew not to trust anyone. I was even wary of Jasper once Edward showed up. He tried. I'll admit that. He tried to save us all but in the end he put his mate first as I should have. You should stop hating yourself and hate the one person who could have stopped it."

Alice shook her head sending droplets of water in every direction.

"You should—"

"I can't!" Alice ground out after the first of several shuddering gasps. They wracked her entire frame.

"Because of the bond," Bella said.

"Because I love you!" Alice hissed. "I love you and I can't hate you. Believe me, I've tried."

Bella smiled but her eyes remained hollow. She was in pain and Alice couldn't stand to ignore it. She pushed forward and brushed her trembling lips against Bella's sparking a hunger in her that rivaled her thirst for blood. Bella thrust against her driving her further into the rocks that scratched her back and stoked her need. They didn't battle for dominance or grapple for a sly sense of control. No winner or loser. Both simply sought more from each kiss that seemed to create layers of lust piled on top of one another.

Water splashed unnaturally down the river and they broke apart their gazes snapping identically in the direction of the noise. A small family of ducks flapped their wings comfortably and swam away unaware of the two predators that slowly tore their stares away from them to look upon one another once more.

Bella released Alice's hands and plunged her fingers into her short unruly hair tugging her head back to look more directly into her eyes. Alice's hands found Bella's waist beneath the rushing water and grasped at the fragile fabric between them.

"I love you, Bella. Unconditionally, irrevocably, and wholly on my own terms."

Bella grinned pulled her close until her lips grazed Alice's ear. "I wouldn't have you any other way."

Alice shuddered and her fingers tore through Bella's dress as if the fabric were tissue paper and was pleased to feel a similar reaction vibrating from Bella.

Alice slid her eyes shut and tried to imagine anything more perfect. Bella was here and didn't think her tainted for how she was changed. An enormous weight had lifted from her leaving her feeling much like a feather caught in the breeze. Nothing mattered a much as the weight of Bella pressed against her and the kisses being reigned down on her cheeks and jawline.

What had happened to her merely lurked and even as the chains rattled Alice felt nothing of their staying power. Soon they would be gone. Shut out and dismissed from her consciousness as quickly as they had been entrenched.

She moaned when Bella trailed back up to her earlobe.

"I think I owe you a great apology, my mate."

Bella moaned herself at the words. "You have nothing to apologize for, darlin'."

"Mark me," Alice whispered against her ear knowing full well that she could hear her above the rapids. Bella stiffened and Alice wondered briefly if vampires could go into shock.

"Please," Alice said louder.

Bella's legs drew back and withdrew her fingers so that her hands rested on the rock on either side of Alice's head. Her eyes glinted in the moonlight.

"You said I would beg you to mark me one day and you were right," Alice said thinking nothing of the separation and closing the gap immediately. It was only when Bella pushed away from her once more that the bottom dropped out of her confidence like a stone plummeting through the ocean.

"What's wrong Bella? I thought this was what you wanted?"

Bella shook her head fervently in the negative. "No. Alice, it's not."

Alice drew back grinding herself into the rock. She fisted the bits of Bella's dress close to her sides. She opened her mouth to retort but found herself without words although the word unwanted came to mind.

Bella reached forward and brushed her cheek with the back of her hand.

"Alice."

Alice reflexively slapped her hand away. Bella was on her again grasping her jaw firmly in her hand.

"Don't you think for one fucking second it's because I don't want you," Bella growled. "Don't you dare."

Alice relaxed slightly at her soothed nerves. Bella released her and embraced her once more.

"Can't you feel that?" Bella asked her and Alice shook her head into her shoulder and released a heavy sob.

"When we mark each other it won't be about James. I won't let him dominate our relationship forever. Our claiming should and forever always be about you and I," Bella explained. "It can't happen until you're ready. Until you're over what he's done."

"It's not that easy," Alice whispered.

Bella stroked her hair and pressed her lips to the top of Alice's head. "If it takes a century or more I'll wait. "

"You're crazy."

"Can you work with crazy?"

"I can work with anything as long as you're you and I'm me," Alice replied.

Bella scoffed. "Well then, darlin', we don't have a care in the world."

Alice sobbed again and Bella massaged her scalp.

"That's it, darlin'. Let it out."

Alice let out a cry that she sincerely hoped had been muffled by the waterfall. She clung to Bella and screamed and cried until she had nothing left and her limbs went slack. Quietly, without preamble, Bella lifted her into her arms and ran her back to the house. For the second time in forty-eight hours she'd been laid across the plush mattress. The only difference being the replacement maroon duvet and Bella's arms slipping easily around her.

Peace surrounded her and she wished for a moment she could sleep. As an alternative she breathed deeply and closed her eyes to the rest of the world. In her relaxed state she imagined a future where James didn't exist, she and Bella were fully mated, and they had nothing but time.

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><p>AN: Love it or hate it please let me know! Your reviews mean the world to me! If you'd like a chapter preview please request one in a review or a PM. Thanks for reading everyone!


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Hey guys! I'm really sorry for the lateness of this. I'm glad everyone enjoyed the last chapter! I'm hoping you like this one too!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The end.

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><p>It was hours before Alice opened her eyes again and greeted the darkness. Her mind struggled with the heavy knowledge of time and the questionable amount of which had passed. She hadn't slept; she knew that as well as she knew that the weight across her midsection was Bella's arm. The world had moved around them easily. Birds chirped, the wind brushed past the delicate curtains, and the other members of their rag tag group moved beneath them. The concept of how long they had lasted in her consciousness eluded her.<p>

She knew that eventually everything had blurred together. The last thing she could recall hearing before she blocked out the world completely was the smooth scratch of Bella's fingers massaging her scalp. There was no muscle fatigue from having been so tightly coiled but it took a deep shuddering breath to force life back into her small form.

Bella's fingers flexed from fist to splayed digits across the smoothness of her stomach. Her mate let out a soft sigh that crested over the shell of her ear. Instinctively and willingly Alice inched backwards into a firm embrace to eclipse the loose one she knew they had stayed in since they arrived.

Bella nuzzled her neck and comfort enveloped her and her chest rumbled contentedly. She was safe. She was loved. The world had kept spinning and none of that had changed. She felt foolish for having denied it and fearing the truth. Precious time had been swallowed whole by her anger at Bella and her sire.

Bella's lips traced her jaw and Alice forgot herself. Her muscles tightened and Bella's hands worked slowly to loosen the tension.

"Stay with me," Bella pleaded softly. The voices from below ceased. The world had paused to acknowledge the question and witness her answer.

Slowly, Alice stretched her legs and tried to misplace the memories of how they had been restrained in James' pursuit for power of her. Alice twisted and lifted her arms and ignored the rattling chains that reverberated in her skull. She completed her turn and propped her self on one elbow to look directly into Bella's red eyes. Guilt flooded her. Bella hadn't fed since their argument at the waterfall. Time eluded her again as she found herself swallowing back her shame at having ignored Bella's needs in favor of her pain.

She drew in a breath and hoped for the courage, to face down her fears, to emerge as steadily as Bella stared back at her. Nothing welled inside of her that amounted to a mammoth bravery. She watched Bella's eyes search hers and lost herself for a moment in the slope of her nose and the curve of her lips. Lips that had formed the reassurances that kept her from running again.

She could do that for Bella. She wanted to do that for her. It was as certain and simple as the bat of an eyelid. She fell forward rested her forehead against Bella's and inhaled her soothing scent. Tranquility washed over her and restored resolution to the tone of her voice.

"Forever."

Bella's hands slipped from her stomach and ran swiftly up her arms setting her skin ablaze with need in their wake. Her long fingers wove themselves in Alice's hair as she threw her leg over Alice's waist and twisted her entire frame. Alice yelped in surprise but easily regained her composure once she straddled Bella's hips. She registered then that they were both nude just before Bella's lips touched hers softly.

"Thank you," Bella murmured in between showering too brief kisses across her face.

"I've waited days to hear your voice and months to hear you say that," Bella said.

Alice jerked back into an upright position and Bella followed. Bella folded her legs beneath them so that Alice sat firmly in her lap. She noted how close her breasts were to Bella's face and reared back only to be held in place by Bella's arms wrapping tightly around her waist. Bella quirked an eyebrow at her and Alice sighed.

"How long have we been up here?"

Bella glanced up at her and drew her lower lip into her mouth and held it there by her teeth as she thought. Alice shivered under the arousal that raced down her spine. She watched as the lower lip was released when a response was formed and fought the urge to taste Bella's lips again. She groaned and inadvertently shifted and shuddered again at feeling the smoothness of Bella's thighs against her own. Bella's fingers slid easily up her spine making her keenly aware of how much she needed her to continue the movement and to never stop looking at her with the same hunger she knew echoed in her own expression.

"Alice," Bella hissed into Alice's neck where her lips then latched on and pressed into a pulse point that would never respond back.

It was difficult to think and had she been human her heart would have determinedly beat its way out of her chest. Her muscles relaxed to numb warmth from her head to her toes. Bella's arms held her firmly in place and just as her kisses climbed past Alice's jaw the fight went out of Alice to protest or recoil. She merely purred softly and tilted her head to allow for more access.

And there, Bella hesitated. Trust bloomed inside of Alice from the knowledge that Bella wouldn't move forward without her permission. Alice forced feeling back into her arms to raise them up and cup Bella's face with her hands. The other woman leaned into her touch and tightened her grip on her. With resistance a fleeting thought, Alice barely concealed the building wince to the forgotten revelation. So soon after her acceptance of her own vampiric birth here she sat bonded and pressed firmly against her mate. Alice trembled under the weight of it and the stark reality that something had shifted within her and allowed her this respite.

She expected the walls to close in as they had before and spark her innermost fear of being trapped as she was in the hellacious fires during her change. None of the expected forced its way through her contentment as if being held at bay simply by Bella's presence.

Alice breathed deeply and locked her fingers behind Bella's neck, reinforcing her own hold, automatically, without regard to the horrors of how quickly she seemed to crave the security of Bella's touch. And still fear did not over take her in the way she had assumed it would. In it's place stood something else wholly satisfying and cripplingly terrifying all at once. Beyond love, longing, want, and need, it existed and had slashed across her doubts and left a searing impression on what was left of her soul.

"Two weeks," Bella's honeyed voice danced across Alice's consciousness and deliberately stole her ability to respond beyond shock. Her fingers flexed and snapped back into place reflexively.

Bella sighed against her silent pulse point and massaged her lower back. Always aware of Alice's need for comfort. Shame arose again and Alice glanced down at Bella in fear. She wondered just how the woman who had been born again into the violence of Maria's camp could be capable of so much compassion for her. Yes, they were mates. It was probably ingrained in Bella's very being to console her at any costs. Alice supposed it was the same for her. What scared her was that she didn't feel as attentive. Bella seemed to always need to touch her when Alice seemed in crisis.

"I'm sorry," Alice said softly. Bella growled against Alice's chest at the word and left Alice to try and quell her excitement at the fierce vibrations.

"It's not your fault," Bella murmured. "These things take time."

"How long did it take to get over what happened with Maria?" Alice asked.

"Like you, I didn't have much time to consider my fate. However, unlike your situation my pain was my choice. I came to terms with that days after I realized it was necessary to survive."

"It don't agree. I don't blame you for what happened but I don't believe it was by your own choice. Maria forced you—"

"Force implies that she took my will away. She gave me the choice and I took the one that didn't include a fiery death."

Alice shook her head.

"I hated myself once I knew there was another way. When I saw what Jasper and Edward had and what they'd do to protect each other I realized it was at least possible for me to have it, too."

"And you do," Alice murmured. Bella smiled.

"I hated myself even more when I discovered your existence but all of that changed the moment I saw your face. I knew that whatever had happened with Maria didn't matter. I was yours, you were mine, and eventually you'd accept me as I am—scarred and tarnished."

"You're beautiful, not tarnished," Alice corrected her. "You're stronger than anyone I've met. Stubborn and patient as a rock imbedded in the ground."

"You'll be strong, too," Bella assured her. "You already are in so many ways. Can you tell me you would have imagined this moment months ago?"

Alice shook her head in response. "Where do we go from here?"

She hoped the implied delay was understood and simultaneously tested their bond. Bella grinned at her and nosed her way into the softest brush against Alice's lips, full eclipsing thin. At the moment Alice couldn't imagine feeling more complete.

"Where do you want to go?" She responded in a whisper meant only for them. Bella peered up at her through long eyelashes, bright, wide eyes, and the softest look of compliance Alice could never have imagined to exist on the first day they met.

Alice smiled back and her and disentangled their limbs slowly and painfully. Bella groaned and pouted through the movements. Alice kept their hands merely inches apart out of necessity. Whereas before she'd only felt a dull ache at being separated her breath caught in her throat now and she groaned herself at the effort of standing inches apart. It were as if they were seated in the opposing curves of an elastic band stretched so thin that it threatened to snap back to it's original shape.

"How about the tub for a fresh start," Alice murmured. Chairs scraped beneath them and voices rose between the cracks in the floorboards and scattered like dust particles in the sunlight. Doors slammed shut and creaked open in the overwhelming response of life continuing after the pause. Bella scooted off the bed and without a single word, lifted Alice into her arms.

"We'll go down when you're ready."

Alice nodded then added softly. "You-we need to hunt! Don't you ever get tired of doing things on my time?"

Bella's chuckle mingled with the drip drop of the water filling the porcelain tub. The heated water rose against the smooth surface attacking the cool air that once rested at the bottom and forcing out barely visible translucent swirls. Her gaze followed them as they stretched and crested over Bella's shoulders and reached out in her direction. Eventually the whole room was blanketed in the flexible visible haze. The last time they'd been here her memory had once again denied her a future. She wondered if the third time would be more charmed than the others. Once the tub was filled and the faucet had been cut off Alice approached Bella's opened arms without preamble.

"Let's just say this decade is yours to call. You can spend the next millennia making it up to me," Bella replied as she slid easily into the water. Alice followed suit and sat between her thighs and leaned back against her so that even her shoulders were immersed.

"We'll hunt when we're done up here."

She sighed. It felt too good, too perfectly ensconced in Bella's arms, so much in place that she shuddered uncomfortably in anticipation of the rattling chains and hypnotic growls of James' voice. She waited for the bottom to drop out of her comfort and slam her forcefully into the ground without warning. It was customary. It was her life so far.

Bella only reacted to soothe her. She brushed back her hair and ran a soaped up washcloth across her skin. She hadn't accumulated sweat or dirt since the woods but it was down right heavenly to feel as if everything were being stripped away.

Alice waited, relaxed herself even, but still guarded herself. The familiar chains rattled softly in her subconscious as if muffled by a heavy blanket of some sort. Nothing existed to stop the pleasure of enjoying herself but her own apprehension.

She sank even further into Bella's embrace. The woman beneath her blew out a heavy breath of what Alice imagined to be relief. Alice wasn't going anywhere. Not this time. She hoped never again. One touch after another and Alice had relaxed fully.

She let Bella continue to bathe her, wash her hair and massage her limbs until her arousal became nearly unbearable. At that point they switched and to Alice's dismay and Bella's approval they both came close to tearing into each other in the most delightful way. Alice's lips had trailed up Bella's neck and sucked lightly just below her jawline. The result was a low hiss and a resulting flood of need and want Alice couldn't entirely sort through. Her body reacted faster than her mind to comprehend the events.

It was Bella who stopped, panting, not from lack of breath, but from effort. Her fingers cracked the lips of the tub as further evidence that it was becoming harder not to take Alice in the way she really wanted. The heady realization gave Alice a sense of satisfaction and irrational dread. Still unsure of what would happen she merely smiled weakly.

"I suppose a change of scenery is at hand, Darlin'," Bella nearly growled in her delectable accent. Alice shivered and nodded for her own lack of words.

They extricated themselves from the water reluctantly but quickly enough to avoid the impulse to jump on one another. Bella surrounded her with a large fluffy white towel before unstopping the water and collecting her own.

The smooth and wide texture forced a sigh from Alice's lips and once again she waited for the anvil to fall and signal her descent into darkness. It was only when Bella took her hand and led her from the humid room that she released the sharp breath she hadn't been aware of inhaling.

Bella made no mention of her hesitance, probably, as Alice always assumed, to give her the space she needed to speak of it on her own.

Bella released her hand, sending the elastic snap of their bond ricocheting through Alice's small frame and quickly made her way through the closet.

Alice swallowed thickly. The separation was so unbearable that she shoved down her embarrassing weakness and inched closer to the mahogany French doors. From there she could see Bella riffling through the delicate pieces of clothing hanging from the brass bars. Several moments of clinks and slight screeching hangars drifting across the racks passed before Bella emerged with a pair of small tan breeches.

The tiny vampire quirked an eyebrow. "I didn't see those before."

Bella shrugged. "Esme brought them in a few days ago while you were resting. She didn't say anything but I suspect she noticed how much we disregarded her fine dresses."

Alice nearly rolled her eyes but reconsidered as she reached out and stroked one of the belt loops.

"Just one pair?" Alice asked.

Bella shrugged. "Only one, and they'd fit a little short stack like you better than me."

Alice snorted at the light teasing then basked in the easy flow of it. She smirked up at her mate. "Don't tell me you've tried them on already."

Bella let the legs drop and held them against her waist. Indeed the hemline of the pant legs dangled just above her ankles. Alice stifled her laughter and grasped the waistband. Bella jerked her closer.

"I do have one more surprise for you," Bella said. She released her grip and disappeared into the closet once more. Seconds later she returned dangling Alice's stolen pair of boots in one hand.

"Oh, darlin', you shouldn't have," Alice said and moved forward to touch them. Excitement bubbled and for an instant she felt more like herself than she had in the earlier hours of her waking.

"I knew you'd love to see these again," Bella said. Alice dropped both items on the floor and threw her arms around Bella's neck. Bella's immediate response had been to begin purring to which Alice responded by kissing her full on the lips.

"I'll get you boots every day of the damn week if it keeps you this happy," Bella got out once Alice forcefully peeled herself off of her and began dressing. She disappeared again and tossed a small grey men's undershirt in Alice's direction.

Alice caught it and slid it on quickly before dropping down onto the floor and lacing up her boots. As she knotted and tied the first she began pondering on the merits of such an arrangement. After she finished the second and sprung up onto her feet, rolling easily from heel to toe, relishing in how the leather boots molded to her feet as if they were a second skin, she decided she could get used to it.

"We may have to strike up some sort of deal there, Ms. Swan," Alice said, amazing even herself with how bright she sounded. Her happiness felt rewarding and unwarranted. When she looked up at Bella emerging in a pair of loose trousers and long sleeved ladies' blouse she found she didn't care.

Bella blurred in front of her and stood inches away with a satisfied smile on her face that didn't quite reach her eyes. They both knew this new found happiness wasn't entirely palpable. The trip down the stairs could very nearly undo the tentative easy existence. They had to try, though; it was a non-negotiable and non-verbal agreement between them. They couldn't stay up there forever and expect the world to stop.

Bella grasped one of Alice's hands in both of hers and squeezed. "Pace yourself today, and we might be able to figure something out."

Alice nodded and followed her reluctantly out, casting one last glance over the room that held their solitude before shutting the door firmly behind her.

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><p>Alice deduced, from the placement of the sun in the sky, that it had to been just after noon once they stepped outside. No one had approached them after they hit the bottom landing of steps in the main part of the house. In fact, the structure had been eerily silent even for a house full of vampires. She could hear nothing although nothing was out of place. It were as if they had all disappeared although, no earlier sounds had indicated so.<p>

Once they were outside, all thoughts of the Cullen's and Denali's disappeared along the cooling breeze and the sight of the falling orange and red leaves. Bella tugged on her hand and Alice moved along with her in large strides. Air pumped uselessly in and out of her lungs but Alice took the opportunity to smell everything that she had missed.

It was fall and she had missed her first opportunity to literally watch the colors change. Bella picked up speed and Alice followed, never wanting to be more than a second behind her. Eventually they ran side by side into the forest. They dodged trees and fallen branches and Alice took care to pounce on every available pile of leaves as if they'd never last throughout the day. Her bell-like laughter bounced off of the surfaces of tree trunks into an echo.

Bella didn't complain, or hasten her fun. Her smiles, wide and electric, sparked all the way up to her eyes. Glorious didn't cover it. Alice felt, despite the season, that everything was new. She laid on her back in one pile of leaves and raised her arms above her head to welcome the fluttering groups that had been involved in her new upheaval.

Bella crashed beside her and pecked her cheek. Alice rolled into her and attacked her lips, craving more. She wondered if the need that thrummed soundly within her could ever be satisfied. Her body ached deliciously and she wet her lips in anticipation once Bella pulled back to stare into her eyes. Would she ever want to be completely satisfied? Surely it would be the complete death of her.

"What's the matter?" Alice nearly purred into Bella's neck.

"Did I die?" Bella asked. "This is too perfect."

Alice inched her way forward and kissed along her jawline. "Honestly, I've been feeling something similar."

Bella tensed beside her and craned her neck to look at Alice. From her shoulders down it were as if each muscle and joint had locked forever in to place. With her porcelain skin Bella looked like a life sized doll with an unwavering clouded expression. She was guarding herself, braced against the earth for some sort of devastation. Alice wrapped her arms around Bella's neck and hugged her close.

"I said forever, remember?" Alice whispered into her ear. Bella's slowly relaxing form relieved and crushed her. Bella never asked for much but her love. Her greatest fear seemed to be Alice leaving. Alice guessed that their separation was much harder on Bella than she'd ever thought. She imagined tearing off away from her now, not knowing when she'd see her face again, or feel her touch.

The thought was almost too difficult to endure. Alice carefully brushed Bella's hair from her face and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Bella's arms encircled her waist and they both laid on their sides to gaze upon the other.

"I'm never leaving again," Alice reassured her. "Never."

"I worry that this isn't permanent," Bella said. "It's terrifying not knowing what to do or how to help you. And then this morning was amazin'. I guess, it's not knowing what happened to you when you were…gone."

Alice sighed against her. Truthfully, she didn't completely understand what had happened either. For starters, she truly believed it had only been hours when it had been weeks. Granted, when out in the wild she'd lost time there but was wholly aware of the sun and moon changing guard. This was a loss of that awareness completely. They'd all blurred together at one point. What she had deduced through the haze was something entirely out of the norm. It was downright crazy.

"Alice, please tell me what happened," Bella's voice cracked when she spoke and it was the end of Alice's resolve to keep quiet. She couldn't deny this woman anything but figuring out where to start was difficult.

"The last thing I remember was you laying me across the bed. You kissed me and laid me there like I was precious. I couldn't believe you were still there. I started crying."

"You were like that for a while," Bella said. "You were shaking so fiercely."

Alice shot her an apologetic look. Bella hated feeling helpless, that much Alice knew from their first days together, and having to watch Alice suffer with no control over it must have been terrible. Bella kissed her forehead and encouraged her to continue.

"I don't know," Alice said. "It's hard to say what happened. I couldn't feel you anymore. I knew you were there, and I knew you weren't leaving me but I couldn't feel your arms or hear your voice. I couldn't hear the rest of the world for that matter. It was just dark and silent."

"In your thoughts?"

"I suppose so. It was like that for a bit until I heard the chains rattling again." Alice said. Bella's brows furrowed and Alice hastened to explain the signal of her episodes.

"I was terrified. This was a part of myself I'd never visited. I know vampires can't lose consciousness or sleep but it were as if I'd crawled inside myself and forgotten the world. I didn't know if I could get back and if I were stuck inside my mind I worried I'd only have James and the chains to keep me company."

"What next?" Bella prodded gently.

"It was…disorienting," Alice responded truthfully. "I can't really make head or tails of it myself I kept watching my death over and over as if I were standing in the room when it happened hearing his voice, hearing my own screams, it was torture and it never seemed to end. Bit by bit, though, it did. The voices became softer in volume and the people became less clear until they blurred all together."

"It sounds like some sort of nightmare," Bella said. Alice had to agree with her.

"But I can't sleep, I can't dream, there's no real explanation for it other than perhaps my gift."

"And..well—"

Alice sat up and brought Bella with her. Bella's silken strands slid easily over her shoulder and shielded her scowl and furrowed brow. Alice watched Bella run her fingers through her hair and pull it back. An ear splitting grin had replaced her scowl. Oddly enough she laughed for a moment before biting it back and glancing sideways at Alice.

Alice merely quirked an eyebrow having not found the humor in any of it. Bella held up her hands to stall Alice's words and dialed back her excitement.

"Is that all that happened? Everything blurred and then you woke up?"

Alice shook her head. "No. The rest, well, like I said was disorienting. I stood still and things continued to get brighter but less clear. I had just begun to feel lighter when I felt your arms around me again. I could feel the bed and hear the birds outside. I felt like I had been stalled and stuck in my vision."

"What if it wasn't a vision?" Bella asked, unable to keep the hopeful tremor out of her voice. Alice perked at the mystery but only saw it as a dead end. If not a vision then what?

"Our bond," Bella said. "You accepted me and our love when you went under. You accepted our bond."

"Yes," Alice said slowly. "But they're unrelated!"

"Yes, but you can't ignore the coincidence! You accepted that we were mates, fully, and completely. What if our bond buried this pain?"

"Can that happen?" Alice asked, feeling quite giddy at the prospect. The realization of both major aspects of her new life had simply battled it out for dominance and their bond came out victorious.

"I don't know. Perhaps we should ask the Cullen's," Bella mused. "They've been around long enough to know something."

"No!" Alice nearly shouted. Bella's eyes widened at her vehemence.

"They know too much about our mating. They don't need to know anymore than they already do," Alice said. "This is ours."

"What if we get separated? They'll need to know this information in case—"

Alice hissed loudly and pressed herself fully against Bella and placed her finger over Bella's lips.

"Nothing will separate us—at least, nothing that I can't see and destroy shortly after. I'm yours and you are most certainly mine and no one is going anywhere."

"Awfully presumptuous there aren't we, darlin'?" Bella said. She smiled widely beneath Alice's fingertips and pressed a kiss to her hand.

"Well, you are mine," Alice stated matter-of-factly. They rolled until Alice straddled her hips and had resumed kissing along Bella's jaw. Whatever had happened with their bond, Alice was ecstatic she could at least touch her mate without any of the horrible after affects. It was freeing to let go and experience all of her hunger rolling through her.

Resting in the pile of the leaves they languidly kissed and caressed on another. Alice had stretched out her legs and lightly rested against Bella's chest. Bella's fingers slide easily up Alice's arms and crested gently over her shoulders down to the small of her back and her hips.

The wind picked up and moved the leaves around and over them leaving the couple uninterrupted. The feeling of finality rooted within Alice twisted more firmly into her leaving her feeling victorious. She had overcome James, they would fight Maria and the Volturi, the world would change a thousand times over and but this thing between them was everlasting.

Her body melted into Bella's embrace and even as Alice nosed Bella's chin to the side to kiss her neck her eyes drank in the woman before her. Bella's fingers grasped her hips and slid under the fabric of her pants to dig deliciously into her hard skin.

Alice's gaze flew over Bella's half lidded eyes and parted lips down to her throat where several bite marks and scars ran across each other carelessly. She bit back a hiss and kissed each one. The word 'mine' echoed in her thoughts at every butterfly kiss until it thrummed like a pulse in her veins like a promise. Until that very second Alice hadn't been aware of what. Her lips pressed firmly against Bella's throat and parted for her to hungrily suck at her former pulse point. She was hers and although she knew Bella was more than aware of that fact she wanted every single person who'd ever dared to touch her mate to know.

With that thought in mind, Alice jerked back, not from fear of James and her past but from instinct and how thoroughly it supplanted her own thoughts. Bella sat up with her and for the second time that day clutched Alice to her.

"Is it?" Bella asked. Alice understood instantly. She wondered if it were James. She wanted to know if Alice were relapsing into the same sort of pain induced stupor she'd just escaped from. Alice shook her head against Bella's shoulder and stroked her hair. The stiffness in Bella's spine instantly dissipated simply by touch and the weight of guilt lifted quickly from Alice's shoulders.

"You're going to be okay," Bella murmured. Bella moved her hands up and rubbed circles into the back of Alice's neck. "Let's hunt."

Alice rose to her feet and Bella appeared by her side. Alice watched Bella as her mate's gaze settled on a buck a half a mile out grazing alone. Her expression brightened.

"Together?"

Alice couldn't imagine it any other way although she knew it to be false.

"Yes," Alice responded and just as quickly they were off. Bella cut around the perimeter of the area and Alice went in the opposite direction. It was clear, Bella would herd the animal and Alice would catch it off guard with the kill.

They worked in tandem, Bella banking left, always keeping an eye out for Alice. Alice, once aware of the their direction, swung herself up into the nearest tree and dropped down on the buck just as it passed by. She hooked her ankles around it's neck and swung down and clawed at it's throat, killing it instantly. The body swayed and Alice rode it to the ground and waited patiently while Bella dove over them both and slid around to face her and their kill.

Pride shone in Bella's eyes just before the black consumed her red depths and they sank their teeth simultaneously into the buck's neck. It was quick and the taste wasn't right but everything felt natural from the beginning of their hunt to the end. Just as natural as Alice's urges had been earlier. The blood thinned to nothing and it hadn't been enough. With the same synchronized ferocity they were on their feet again and hunting their next kill.

Speech was unnecessary and it seemed all visible expressions were moot as well. They moved naturally through the forest selecting their prey and taking it down without a single shred of communication. As the last thumps of life disappeared from their final shared buck Alice felt her whole frame vibrate with the same penetrating hunger she'd begun to succumb to that morning.

She watched Bella wipe the blood from her mouth and begin to dig holes for their prey all the while wondering how Bella had contained herself this long. Alice's fingers itched to hold her and her body ached to wrap itself around Bella's tall slender body. Her jaw tightened and locked as an added reflex to prevent heated growl from escaping. How could Bella have survived ignoring instinct so long, when for the past hour it was all Alice could do not to pin her to the nearest tree and mark her?

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><p>AN: Okay say it with me now….EEEEEEEEEEE! Alice is ready! Bella is ready! Some or most of you will say "FREAKING FINALLY!". I know, it's been a horrendously long road for these ladies but change is on the horizon. I promise more action is on the way! Alright, you know the drill. Good, Bad, or Ugly…let me know how you guys feel!


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Hey guys! Bet you didn't expect to see this again so soon! I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I make no money from this purely for fun and all recognizable characters belong to someone else, I know.

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><p>The lower level of the house remained the same as when Alice had last seen it. She followed her mate despite immediately sensing the other members of their group. They were all in the same room that they had originally met in. Nervousness crept down her spin and danced through her fingers, making them shake. If she were them, she'd be sure to remove her from their midst. No one needed an unstable vampire in their way. Edward was a part of the family and therefore necessary. She was an outsider. Interlopers weren't afforded the same care or concern.<p>

She thought of Esme coming to check on them and leave the pants in their closet. It was certainly hospitable of her to do so. The matriarch of the Cullen family was still a mystery to her. She had a gift that seemed to provoke honesty although how she relayed that back to the rest of the family was a different story. That sort of power was deeply rooted in trust. Trust that she was telling the truth and that she herself was incapable of telling a lie so potent that no one could doubt it.

Their entrance into the study was steeped in the sort of tension that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention. Several pairs of golden eyes drank in her appearance, unblinking, unwavering in their intensity, recording the number of breaths she took to calm down and cataloging her every movement.

The scrutiny was unbearable in a different way from her separation from Bella. It felt like they had made up their minds already. In many ways it felt like a death sentence. With no allies to back them up, she and Bella were on their own to face Maria's army should they come after them.

The urge to hide behind Bella presented itself fully and competed with Alice's need to stand beside her as an equal. One firm squeeze from Bella helped her swallow back her cowardice. She was the woman who stared her rapist down as he turned her and would look him in the eye when she gained the opportunity to end him.

Alice made sure to make eye contact with all nine of the vampires staring back at her as she came to a full stop next to Bella.

"Good afternoon Alice, Bella," Esme said. Carlisle stiffened beside her. All attention turned to the ethereal motherly figure sitting beside him. His eyes narrowed in Alice and Bella's direction, a move Alice noticed and bared her teeth at.

"Good Afternoon, everyone," Bella spoke for both of them and squeezed Alice's hand reassuringly.

They all looked well, not that many things could have happened to change that in general. In the days that had passed since her brief seclusion so many things could have occurred. Obviously, nothing had happened that warranted disturbing them. Maria's army hadn't appeared and the Volturi hadn't swept in. Something was different, though. The sociable air had dissipated. Surprisingly, Alice felt no intrusions on her thoughts. She glanced at Edward, seated on the couch between the Denali's and his parents, and took in his small smile. She relaxed slightly and stuffed the shock of having been consoled by Edward in the back of her mind. Perhaps he was happy to have someone else be the problem for a while.

Jasper sat beside him on the arm of the chair, forearms stretched over his broad chest and Stetson hung low, eyeing them with a curiosity.

"How are you?" Jasper asked, staring directly at Alice. Alice clenched her jaw.

"Fine…better," she answered him. He nodded.

"I know you're uncomfortable about us knowing what you've been through. I can honestly tell you that the only reason we know is because it was forced out in the open during our discussion—"

"Whether we say or go?" Alice snapped. "Like it or not, now that you're all privy to the unfortunate circumstances of my turning, we have as much a right to be here as any of you."

"And we realize that," Esme spoke up. "We understand that more than you think. However, we are concerned, not just for your safety, but ours. An unstable soldier is unfortunately a weak link. Especially, considering you're still unmarked."

Alice snorted. Their claiming was absolutely none of their business. She kept her mouth shut however at Bella's pleading look. Her irritation melted away. She could behave, for Bella. She could do anything for her.

"This is why we feel you may need a supplement to your physical training," Carlisle finally joined in. "It's only a small concession on your part and it would make us all feel a little more comfortable having you on our side."

"Am I that much of a burden?" Alice asked. "You're right, I don't appreciate you discussing my past—which should have remained secret—while I wasn't present to defend myself."

"Defense wasn't necessary—" Esme stopped when Alice shook her head at her.

"I'm not some pitiful child to be coddled. What do you want?" Alice asked.

Attention shifted to Eleazar. Carmen inched closer to him, nearly on his lap and eyes trained on Alice. One hand rested delicately on his knee and the other gripped the edge of the couch, ready in an instant to push off and defend him. Alice rolled her eyes. She highly doubted he needed protection. Carmen's instincts were taking over, as were Bella's. She'd released Alice's hand and held out an arm in front of her, preventing her from moving forward. Irritation and adoration warred inside of Alice.

A short while ago, Alice would have been offended. Now, she knew it was simply tactically sound. Bella was the more experienced fighter between them and was placing herself between Alice and the nine other vampires that could and would rip her apart if they saw fit.

"I'd like for you to spend a few sessions with me," Eleazar said. "I know you're not entirely amenable towards them but at the very least I can be sure you're not going to cause problems for us once Maria arrives."

"Are you going to have Esme sit in and determine whether or not I'm lying?" Alice asked glancing between the two elder vampires. They exchanged a look and Esme shrugged and shook her head.

"I don't think that's necessary. I'm the one who will decide if you're capable of fighting with us. Should you lie and pose a threat to us when the fighting begins, we will destroy you," Eleazar said calmly. "

Bella growled and pulled Alice more forcefully behind her.

"No one touches Alice," Bella spoke slowly and with her own crystal clear hearing Alice could feel the intended underlying malice. Alice gripped Bella's arm. Although, Bella was fast and had her gift to fall back on, they couldn't hope to protect each other against all of them. Most of them were gifted and many—including Jasper had enough training to rip them apart and burn them before they could blink.

They were hopelessly outnumbered. The choice was clear. Go with Eleazar's coaching methods and play nicely or burn and bring Bella down with her. Alice shuddered at the memory of her vision. She hadn't had any since before that night. It unnerved her. The one thing she could do for her mate was at the very least provide her with the best possible future intelligence. She still didn't like the idea of Eleazar dictating her ability to perform. It seemed like she'd have half a chance between turning out like Kate or Edward.

"No one has any intention of hurting your Alice, Bella," Jasper reminded her quietly. At Bella's unconvinced expression Jasper glowered back at her.

"It's not our intention to harm any one who has become an ally to us," Carlisle said. "We simply want to ensure you're mentally prepared for combat. It is illogical to have to worry about you having a set back and fighting Maria at the same time."

"Assuming Maria is the one first one up to bat," Alice muttered. "If I'm so unstable, why not dispense with the pleasantries and get rid of me now? Or is Bella too valuable?"

Carlisle rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to speak while Esme placed a light hand on his shoulder. His jaw snapped shut and his gazed flickered to the window. It seemed they had severely underestimated Esme and her power within their little group. Alice stared at her trying to comprehend the straightened back and firmly set jaw that had replaced the demure smile and fluttering eyelids. She'd known Esme was intelligent, but now it seemed she was the real power in the Cullen family, not Carlisle.

"You're both valuable to us, in more ways than one. No one is denying that you belong here and many of us, believe it or not, would prefer that you stay."

She sounded sincere and Alice couldn't detect any form of manipulation in her tone of voice. Bella relaxed and stepped back beside her but still close enough to be nearly on top of her. Alice sighed.

"It's up to you Alice," Bella said and Alice wished it weren't. It was hard enough having come to terms with her past so recently. Now, she'd have to endure Eleazar snooping through her thoughts and expecting willing expulsions of her anxieties on a daily basis. None of it was agreeable, especially since she wasn't the only member of their group with a slight imbalance.

Alice smiled slightly. Perhaps if Eleazar had to divide his attentions between someone as equally problematic he'd have less time on his hands. She left Bella's side, causing her mate to inhale sharply and Alice to reach back and grasp Bella's hand. Alice stayed just a foot away and nearly trembled underneath her desire to step back into her arms.

"I'd like to pose an alternative, a counter offer if you will," Alice said. Esme quirked an eyebrow and her lips tugged upwards slightly as if she already knew the next course of events.

"I'd like to propose that we not ignore the great big elephant in the room. I'm not the only vampire here with a dark history. To be more precise, I'm certainly not the only one who is more recently volatile than the rest in handling such a history."

"She has a point, don't you think Edward?"

The youngest Cullen snapped to attention and openly glared at his adoptive mother who stared back at him nonplussed. She was serious, that much was obvious, and brooked no argument. Even Jasper frowned deeply at her words.

"You are just as conflicted as I am," Alice said, more softly than she thought capable of. Edward's hardened gaze swung in her direction but she refused to flinch. "We're broken by the circumstances of our change and our mating. We're not the same but similar in that way. Can't you see it?"

Edward made to stand despite Jasper's tight grip on his shoulder. Edward looked to Jasper whom projected his guilt in spite of his control. At just a tiny taste of it Alice knew it had to be potent.

"I will attend coaching with Eleazar if Edward attends as well. Either we pass his scrutiny or we sit out of battle. Can any of you deny that we both need the help?"

Alice looked to the Denali's who'd mostly kept their mouths shut throughout all of the excitement. Tanya had stared weary-eyed through the window while Kate and Garrett simply nodded their assent. Carmen's attention was on Eleazar whose attention was firmly placed on Esme's satisfied expression.

"Edward?" The Cullen matriarch's voice held a firm tone.

"I'll do it," Edward said. He sat, arms crossed glaring at Alice, with Jasper's arm on his shoulder. Jasper grimaced, possibly at the reminder of how things went the last time. With a smile on her face Alice approached Eleazar, mindful of Bella's shadowed movements behind her.

"Shall we begin after training today?" Alice asked. Eleazar pondered for a moment before rising to his feet with a furrowed brow and pursed lips.

From the other side of the room Edward laughed.

"If no one objects, I believe now would be perfect," Eleazar said. He was met by silence from the others and Alice's exasperated sigh.

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><p>Once emptied, the study was once again left to its silent place in the house. The wooden structure settled more firmly into the ground with slight groans and soft shrieks. The cacophony simply became cataloged in Alice's mind as another one of life's intricate symphonies. Man-made and irritating as it were, it did nothing to keep her focus on the questions Eleazar had been posing since the group departed.<p>

He'd first, as a method of friendliness, asked her to find a comfortable chair. She'd simply dropped down to the floor next to the window. She thought it best to be as close to Bella as possible. His eyebrows had quirked up in response but he didn't voice his opinion of her behavior. Alice shrugged it off. If this were only about her gift she'd have been fine about filling him in. Considering this was mainly his attempt at theorizing her choices and thoughts down to the smallest bit of information she felt less forthcoming.

It wasn't going to be made easy for him. If he thought it would be then he'd been sadly mistaken. That aside her own misgivings about her mating became horrifically apparent. She sniffed the air and could still inhale Bella's intoxicating scent. It was the only thing keeping her literally grounded. Every second was met with a hair raising muscle spasm in reflex to Bella's movements. They hadn't discussed the change in their relationship with the others and it appeared to be an unspoken agreement to keep it to themselves.

Of course the downside was that others of their kind now outside surrounded Bella while Alice was stuck inside with Eleazar. Blathering, idiotic, Eleazar. She hated him instantly and irrationally. Somewhere in her thoughts she knew she needed this while elsewhere her mind was concentrated on why she had to be separated from Bella. It was as if her chest was trying to cave in and curl inward and crush her. Dramatic but true.

Alice distracted herself by practicing her human moves as he spoke to her, babbling on about self and vampiric emotions being stronger than that of humans.

"Alice? Are you listening?" He asked, without a hint of irritation.

She didn't understand his lack of response to her blatant ignorance of his questions. She kept her mouth shut and kept her eyes glued to the window where she could see Bella sparring with Jasper.

The muscles in Alice's body stiffened when Bella tried a move on Jasper that landed her on a one-way trip back to earth. She was on her feet before Eleazar could finish his next boredom-inducing sentence.

"Alice!" Eleazar shouted.

Alice tore her gaze away from Bella's slowly standing form. Eleazar Denali wasn't much of a threatening figure. At four feet taller than her he had a well-muscled physique that filled out his finely crafted clothes. Currently, he'd shrugged out of his brown tweed jacket and only sported his crème vest, cherried tie, and white dress shirt. His tan breeches dusted the edges of his auburn loafers. Despite the pale skin and golden eyes he normally looked human. At the moment he glared at her with an unblinking intensity that made her nervous.

Everyone seemed to have some sort of angle in all of this. Alice wondered if she pushed the right buttons; would his appear? She shrugged her way through her nervousness and glared at him.

"Yes?"

"You haven't absorbed a single word I've spoken!"

Alice rolled her eyes.

"Through your centuries of life you've come to realize that vampires feel more deeply than humans. Becoming a vampire seems to entirely enhance what you were in your previous human life. You believe every vampire is gifted in some way," Alice said then plastered a sympathetic look on her face. "You believe everyone is exceptional. How heartbreakingly beautiful."

Eleazar regarded her with raised eyebrows and a soft smile. "You don't think your gift is special?"

No, she didn't. Not in the way anyone else might think. It was taxing, and never entirely correct. She couldn't tell half the time which was real. What good was seeing the future if it were always changing? She'd rather not see it at all. Even still, if it could help her mate in any way, she found it was worth the irritation.

"Every gift, apparent or not, is unique and specific to who we were and who we are now," Eleazar said.

"Your gift simply tells me you were a prying sap before you were turned!" Alice snapped. "Maybe you were bitten because you couldn't keep your nose out of other people's business!"

Eleazar's eyes darkened and Alice thought she'd hit a nerve. He drew in a deep steady breath before speaking again, which allowed Alice's pride to build. She'd made the steady and calm Eleazar Denali crack in less than an hour.

"You're not very far off. Then again, I was an advisor to the King of Spain, it was my job."

Alice craned her neck to look him in the eyes. She couldn't recall world history enough to know which King to ask about. Instead she settled for a more personal detailed account. One that surprisingly hit closer to her own truth than she wanted to admit aloud. "You got in someone's way."

Eleazar nodded. "I was in the way of some very important people who wanted the favor I had in order to control their own interests with the royal family. It was my job to give advice on the sort of people the family should surround themselves with. As a result, I became a very shrewd man. I knew things people didn't even tell their spouses."

"So you gave your advice and died because of it."

"In short, yes. My sire never told me and I'll never know what he got out of the deal either. One moment I was walking to my apartments within the palace and the next I was on fire."

"When did you know you had a gift?" Alice asked. "Did your sire tell you?"

Eleazar smiled sadly at her. "The man who changed me only gave me the tools to survive. We were too close to Italy for him to just leave me there. An uncontrollable newborn vampire was too conspicuous even two hundred years ago. In the six months he stayed with me I always knew that I should never get too close. It was difficult due to the bond."

"He had a gift? What was it?"

"I didn't know it at the time, but he was capable of a sort of invisibility."

Alice's lips twitched and her eyebrows quirked in an attempt to contain the slight hysteria building inside of her. Either Eleazar was completely mad or their world was stranger than she could have ever believed. Vampires some with gifts that should be impossible, was a stretch, something like this—invisible beings wandering about—made her question her own sanity. She had no choice but to believe him. She was a vampire who could see the future—impossible as it were.

"Now, don't think of it that way."

Alice smiled, giving away her amusement. "What way would that be?"

"It wasn't like some false magic trick at a carnival, Alice. His ability, interestingly enough, was more like a divergent way of thinking. It affected people, humans mostly, by triggering a false sense of ignorance to his presence. It were as if he didn't exist, although he were physically standing beside you, listening to the enticing rhythm of your life line pulsing."

It made sense. Complete and utterly logical sense in time with Eleazar's thinking. It was biological as much as mating was for their kind. The man didn't disappear he simply willed himself to not exist with ease. Jealousy pricked at the corners of her mind. If only her gift were that simple.

"He didn't tell me what he could do. The man was incredibly paranoid and I owe my life now to that idiosyncrasy. He was supposed to kill me, those were the first words he ever said to me, but something scared him into patrolling the area during his attack on me. By the time he'd come back it was too late. I was screaming in pain. He resented me but feared the Volturi more."

"But he could have just left you! With his gift he could have dropped off the face of the earth!"

"Ah! Alice, he could have but he didn't trust that his gift could conceal him enough. So he kept me, for a few months until I learned to control myself. He preferred to hunt alone and used his invisibility to do so. Trouble was, I saw him. I could see him and follow him just fine. I supposed at the time it was my bond. Once he discovered I could follow him he disappeared on a hunt one day and never came back."

"Even though you could see him anyway?"

"Yes. The knowledge that he wasn't so secret any more spooked him. I saw him only a half a century later in Greece skulking about and quite terrified that I'd out him and his gift to the Volturi."

She only wished she had that power over James. Alice rather liked the idea of him cowering in fear at her feet, terror etched in his eyes as had once been in hers. Maybe he was afraid, which was why he'd never shown his face again. He was a tracker and at the very least could have found her over a dozen times since her change.

Once more Alice wished she could see what he was doing at that very moment. She could hunt him down and exact revenge for what he'd done to her and Bella. The heady feeling of vengeance soothed her into a numb state. As much as she wanted to search for him, somehow she knew he'd more than likely show up. He only questions were when and what would he bring with him.

"Why didn't you?" Alice asked. They were swimming in bold territory here. She'd only known Jasper's past because of Bella and even that was stunted by what her mate knew since her own change.

The only person's past she knew outside of her mate's was Edward's and it was something she knew neither of them wanted to discuss. Not really, not ever if they could have avoided it. Curiosity prodded her to absorb more of Eleazar's past pushing aside her initial tendency to see him as an obstacle.

"I had Carmen, and my own gift to contend with. You were right in your assumption the other evening in that gifted vampires guard their abilities like secrets. It is far too easy for others to attempt to exploit what abilities you have for their own purposes. This feeds into another one of my theories but before I begin I must ask that you stay committed to this. I wasn't lying when I said the success in these sessions was dependent solely on you."

Alice recalled the conversation. She also recalled her unease at his voice. She'd hated the smug sense of satisfaction that she found there in the undercurrent of his words. Eleazar, as much as she'd seen of him, relished in knowing things about people they wanted to hide. She couldn't see the Cullen and Denali families as the types to thirst for power. She'd never met Maria but her reputation didn't match theirs in the slightest. Although, she'd seen little to know for sure herself. Bella trusted them. She had to trust Bella. She _did _trust Bella. With that in mind Alice rolled her shoulders back and nodded at him.

"Committed to the very end," Alice said. "God help you if I don't like what happens."

Eleazar smiled wryly. He regained his seat and motioned for Alice to sit on one of the plush velvet chairs. Cautiously, without keeping her eyes from his pleased expression of lit golden eyes and glittering teeth, she sat in the one next to the window. The pain in her chest lessened slightly and stunted her focus. She lifted her chin and signaled that he should continue.

"We are, each and every one of us as Vampires, an enhanced version of our human existence. Our abilities are the only things that continue our line of humanity and as such take time to hone and control. It was previously assumed that when gifted, a vampire had to spend years to do this, for one because of the newborn hysteria. Your senses seem to be even more overloaded depending on what you can do, emotions are beyond capable of being charted and followed, and confusion is at an all time high. Of course, there is the thirst to contend with as well."

"So we're driven nearly insane?"

"Precisely. It isn't possible to gain control quickly because of it. How can you control a part of yourself if everything else inside of you is in a frenzied state?"

"I could," Alice said and Eleazar balked. Golden eyes begged for an explanation and Alice grimaced under the pressure. Since it concerned Bella she wondered if she should say anything more at all despite the damage being done.

"It doesn't help either of us to remain secretive. To help you I must know of your experiences."

Alice glanced out into the field where her mate watched Kate and Tanya spar. Calm filled her. "Bella's shield cut me off from my newborn senses. I hadn't realized it at the time but I was only ever able to control myself through her shield. Otherwise, my visions seem to suck the life out of me."

Eleazar nodded as if he were committing the words to memory. He pursed his lips then leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees.

"And how did you feel when it was taken away?"

Alice growled at the memory. Her love for Bella was solid but the feeling of betrayal rippled through her calm demeanor. She was a snarling young newborn once more—despite having felt she'd moved past it. She tried to swallow her words at Eleazar's interested look. She hollowed out her expression and created one of cold indifference as a reflex.

"Trust, Alice," Eleazar reminded her. The word rolled distastefully through her mind. The demeanor cracked and she grimaced.

"I felt everything," Alice said. If it were possible for Eleazar to lean anymore forward he would have.

"The pain, the confusion, the betrayal, the rage. I felt all of it at once," Alice said.

Eleazar smiled at her and Alice wished she could get away with reaching across and swiping his entire face clear of lips, eyes, and nose. Maybe then he'd understand the before and after of her realization of Bella's shield more clearly.

"You felt them so deeply they were at the base of your very soul."

Alice narrowed her eyes. "Yes."

"That is what it is, to be a newborn. For many of us, it takes years to control those emotions. I never really thought the term should be applied to our first year. Yes, after your strength subsides you're more in control but when there is no one to explain your circumstances your emotional landscape is in upheaval. For some, it takes decades."

Alice had to take a moment to imagine the idea of the whole thing. To experience those emotions for more than mere months but for several years. If Bella hadn't been so hell bent on tracking her she could have been one of those vampires. It didn't erase the sting of the memory. Alice had forgiven Bella for shielding her but never thanked her mate for finding her and saving her again. Alice tucked the thought away for later.

"So, what does that have to do with my gift?"

"Your gift, as with all other vampires, is tied to your emotions and to your very well being." Eleazar said. "Do you think Jasper simply awakened and walked straight into using his empathic abilities all at once?"

"I hadn't really considered it before." Alice said. She almost added that she didn't really want to feel sympathy for the man who'd abandoned Bella.

"Well, consider it. It can take years to gain complete control over your gift as it does over your blood lust. The point I'm trying to make is that if you marry the two you can gain complete jurisdiction over your abilities and perhaps even extend them beyond what you think is capable."

"And just how do you suppose I do that? Spend hours a day talking about how I've felt during these past months? That'll be simple," Alice said. She rolled her eyes and glanced towards the window again. She couldn't think of a larger misuse of their time. This was war, and despite her lack of experience in the matter, it seemed to all be pointless.

"Yes and no," Eleazar said. "You've already started down the path in your choice of animal blood. The only other choice you'll have to make is whether or not you want power over yourself and what you can do."

Alice inhaled deeply. Eleazar's heavy musk filled her nostrils along with the faded scents of the rest of their group—and Bella. So many expectations, so much to decide, and all at once. Her fingers curled into her palms and her agitation stayed put as a result. Anger was the next natural step. She could snap, scream, break everything in the room or have a go at Eleazar.

Bella's scent lingered and Alice half expected her own hesitations of their bond to rise. They didn't and she didn't regret not having them to contend with. The removal of such, added something new and wholly auspicious to her. What Eleazar was offering, amidst all of the turmoil with which they were beset, was the chance to prevent what James had done to her in her five month long living nightmare. The torture of her past had reeked havoc on her abilities.

"What if I turn out like Edward?" Alice asked. "He's become a lost cause thanks to you."

Eleazar's grimace fostered the sharp pang of regret that assaulted Alice. It was wrong of her to blame him completely for Edward when he was so explicit about her side of this. He had not once forced his theories on her when he surely could have proceeded on a more manipulative path. Still, she needed to see his reaction. If he blamed Edward for his faults only and none of his own, she could never accept his help.

"I can't guarantee that you won't. I couldn't guarantee that with him and I won't with you. I will say that I have learned from my mistakes with him and will take care to not repeat them or overstep my bounds. Is that sound agreeable to you, Miss Alice?"

With no room to argue and no excuses left to fall back on Alice turned and sank deftly into the sofa cushion then nodded.

"Yes, Mr. Denali, it does."

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><p>Bella brushed the dirt from her clothes as she trekked back to the house. She needed to feed after having used her shield all day but needed to see and feel Alice more. It was always a matter of 'more' with her mate. No amount of time with her seemed substantial enough to sate that need. Her fingertips brushed her lips and she smiled. A bounce formed in her step and she increased her speed. She dropped her shield and groaned at the weight that pressed on her from all sides. Need caved to an insurmountable feeling of demanding necessity. It was no longer alright to be this far from her mate and Bella wondered how Alice had managed all day. She felt guilty for being able to use her shield as a divider between her and the more demanding aspects of their bond. Honestly, if she hadn't all this time, she might have caved and marked her mate long ago without it.<p>

This life had given her the tools she needed and she was grateful. In that small way she had allowed Alice to come to terms with her past and their bond in her own way. That knowledge filled Bella with so much joy that it could have burst forth from her fingertips.

She was ecstatic, in love, and soon they'd be safe from Maria's ambitions. Bella stopped for a moment to imagine the possibilities. Forever with Alice would be amazing. Years of love, exploration, and, if it got her the appropriate reaction, boots. They could live anywhere and do anything.

Bella sighed. She couldn't wait for the conflict to end. She had a feeling the others thought she was anxious for the battle to begin but it was just the opposite. There were too many variables—things that could smash their prospective future to bits before the war. After was the easy part. You swept away the pieces and put one foot in front of the other to move on. And she would do just that with Alice by her side—safe and happy—just the way things were meant to be.

"Bella," Jasper's soft voice stopped her in her tracks. She'd been aware of him following her but dismissed the others disappearing into the forest to hunt together. They were alone and with Alice tugging her towards the house Bella couldn't help but feel irritated.

She turned to face him and instantly grimaced at what she found. His jaw was set, his eyes intense, and arms crossed. He always seemed to be perpetually brooding but only Edward, herself, and a handful of people who acquainted with the real Major knew otherwise.

Something had happened. He was deciding in the best way to divulge the information. She could tell by the way his brows knit together. Before he spoke the words she knew it was something to do with James. What else could he need to be so secretive about?

"You've found him," Bella said. Anger built inside of her and wearily she drew her shield up to keep Alice at bay. Her mate didn't need to know unless the information was good. She didn't need the worry or the anguish.

Jasper scratched his chin where stubble probably would have grown with age. Bella recalled wondering in her earlier days if he thought hair would miraculously grow if he scratched enough. Jasper sighed.

"Not physically, no. We don't have him yet," he said.

Bella growled. What was the point then? Jasper held up a finger in motion for her to pause. Out of respect she granted his request.

"We had him in Rochester but it seems he has found his mate."

Bella hissed. Like it should matter. He wasn't redeemed because he'd found his own sick form of love.

"So what happened?"

"She was unaccounted for. She helped him escape and it seems she has a talent for it because they slipped out of our grasp twice more. Their trail suggests they're heading for Canada. I don't think they want anything to do with us or Maria."

"I want him found. That man doesn't deserve to exist after what he did," Bella snapped.

"I know and that's why I'm asking for your decision on this," Jasper said. "You have to consider the fact that now that he's mated it's not one target anymore, it's two."

Bella nodded then heaved a heavy sigh. "I know."

"Vengeance is a heavy burden, Bella. You know we'll have to eliminate the woman, too. Even though she's innocent of his crimes against Alice she'll come for us the minute he's turned to ash. I won't allow a vengeful mate to be set upon us."

"What about me?" Bella said softly. "I'm a vengeful mate."

Jasper smiled widely and it would have been haunting considering the subject but she still felt satisfaction at making her sire proud.

"Yeah, but you're family," Jasper said then laughed.

"To you and maybe Peter and Charlotte," Bella said. "Not to them."

"Don't worry, Bella, you're growing on them," Jasper said.

Bella grimaced. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. In all of this she'd assumed the war with Maria and the Volturi would end and they'd go their separate ways. Becoming a unit hadn't been an option and one that she quite frankly was leery of since her experience in the south.

She sighed and let her shield drop. The tugging began instantly and she took a step back hoping for relief. It was futile, she knew, the only relief would be when Alice was wrapped around her again. She glanced at Jasper and found him looking up at her and Alice's window.

"You don't have to tell me what happened up there with you two. I know how private you are. I know something has changed, though, even if you don't want us to know. I can feel it. You're happier than I've ever seen you."

"Thank you, Jasper. For not prying."

Jasper nodded. "Just keep in mind what you want to do and what you need to do. I won't bring him here unless you're ready to dispense of him. If you'll ever be ready."

Bella bristled. "What's that supposed to mean? If you're thinking that when the time comes to make him pay I'll fall short, you're wrong."

Jasper shook his head. "I'm simply saying that when the time comes what you need and want might come in conflict."

Bella's lips formed a tight line. She didn't like where this was headed. Jasper enveloped her in a tight embrace before stepping back. Two separate hisses from opposite ends of the property reached her ears. Bella smiled wryly, shaking away the foreign feeling of indecision when it came to James. From the moment Alice had murmured his name in pain she'd decided he would die painfully. She'd dismember him and feed his limbs to a raging fire while his head sat and watched.

"Just think about it," Jasper said then disappeared in a blur in the direction of the forest. Bella didn't think that she would. She turned on her heel and ran to the house, unable to withstand the tug that had turned into a harsh yank. She managed to get through the house without damaging anything but did find that she nearly ripped their door off its hinges when she saw it was closed. Alice stood in the doorway digging her fingers into the wood and glaring at her in such a way that Bella's insides quivered in delight.

She could smell her arousal and feel her need practically vibrating through her limbs. Bella reached out and stroked her cheek and it were almost as if the vibrations had jumped into her skin. Maybe they were already there. Her mind clouded in a pleasurable haze just as Alice grasped her shirt and jerked her closer. Their lips crashed together and this wasn't the soft need filled trespass Bella was used to. This was forcible entry, domineering, demanding. Alice was angry and she wanted her.

Alice pressed her face into Bella's neck and growled.

"I can smell him on you," her voice was thick with anger. Pleasure raced through Bella aimed right at her core. They hit their mark as Alice hissed in her face.

"No one touches you but me," Alice growled the words against Bella's lips.

Bella's hands came up to tangle in Alice's silken strands. Alice gripped her hips once again ruining the fabric on another piece of clothing. Bella didn't care. All that mattered was the rush of desire filling her up and her own powerful growl echoing in the room. The whole house could probably hear them and it didn't matter in any significant way. They could hear all they wanted since they were so interested in the task at hand.

Alice was becoming more agitated by Jasper's scent by the second. Bella kissed her fully without hesitation or warning and nipped at her lips. She inhaled deeply and unexpectedly was assaulted by Eleazar's scent. It was faint and Alice had obviously spent the afternoon in a session with him. Talking. That's all that they did. Talk. Talk. Talk. Bella hated talking. She hated Eleazar. He'd gotten to be so close to Alice all afternoon when Bella had to be away.

Lust and possessiveness steam rolled over her rational thoughts. Who needed to be rational when Alice was in from of them? Certainly not her.

"No one," Alice growled again this time against her neck.

Bella reached back and slammed the door behind him. The door frame cracked.

"Agreed," Bella whispered. No one would ever touch her intimately again except for Alice. And no one would ever touch Alice again, Bella would see to that.

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><p>AN:Yeah, I did leave you there. Please don't hurt me! Instead click the review button and tell me what you liked/didn't like. Thanks for reading guys! Until next time :)


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: When life hands you lemons…you write lemons.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the characterizations. Nothing else to see here.

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><p>So much had changed in so little time that Alice caught herself before leaping forward at Bella. The air seemed to crackle with electricity between them the moment Bella slammed the door shut. That single shattering noise reminded Alice that there was no escape.<p>

She knew what this was, where it was heading, and she supposed that no matter how hard she'd tried to fight it in the past she always knew. The touches, the looks, the whispered reassurances and inexplicable need to be near Bella had all lead to this since she'd laid eyes on her. Her body began to tremble at the heavy amount of lust she was so very close to succumbing to. There wasn't need for escape but the fact was also that there was no backing out of this. Not now, not when Bella's eyes were surveying her so closely.

Alice watched her; with her own knees bent and a pensive expression on her face. Bella had yet to sink into a crouch and although Alice had no experience to compare anything to she was beginning to feel underwhelmed at her mate's response. Couldn't she feel how much she wanted and needed her? Was their bond not radiating as a sort of alarm clock that the time had come?

Alice was beginning to feel that she had made the wrong choice. Bella stared back at her, the gold flecks around the murky brown reminded Alice of flames, with her lips thin and unyielding and hands placed down towards the floor. She edged forward slowly as if reigning herself in. The fire in her eyes seemed to dwindle down to a soft flicker.

Alice hissed and Bella automatically stopped. Bella's muscles tensed as if she were coiled and ready to spring forward, not to pounce, Alice determined at the even softer expression taking hold, but to restrain. Hesitation and caution. But Alice knew Bella wasn't afraid of her.

That didn't make sense. The only thing Bella was truly and honestly afraid of was losing Alice or—of hurting her. Anger flared through Alice. After all they had been through, now Bella wasn't ready?

A low groan escaped her lips at the obvious implications of her mate's reluctance. She didn't think Alice was ready. In some small way she supposed she could understand it but she didn't want to comply with good reason. She wanted to mark her mate! Even standing in the face of rejection Alice eyed the marks on her mate's neck. One at the base from Maria stood out and her gut wrenched terribly.

Bella reached her after a few carefully measured steps. Her gaze never left Alice and for a flicker of a moment Alice's resolve melted. Bella was just trying to do what was right. It was who she was, always. Alice grit her teeth against the wave of guilt.

"Alice." Her voice was powerful and relaxing. Alice ducked her head and sighed when Bella was near enough to touch her. Alice sighed and let her body relax against Bella's frame. Bella's fingers braced themselves against her shoulders and with the slightest push Alice willingly moved backwards. Her boots scraped against the floor and for all the grace she had as a vampire Alice couldn't think to lift her feet properly. She could only focus on Bella and her soft breaths against her ear and the deep rumble that had begun in both of their chests.

Alice's back hit the wall with a whisper of a thud. Bella's fingers worked in tandem at different tasks. One hand cupped her cheek and forced her to look up at her while the other trailed down her right arm to grasp her hip and hold her in place. Alice shivered when she looked into her mate's dark eyes. There were no more questions then. Her body curved to match Bella's as the woman rested against her. Alice's head rested against the wall, face tipped upward, suddenly feeling more terrified than she'd ever felt. Nervousness crept in and it wasn't until she felt Bella's lips at her forehead that she felt a crack in it. Her body echoed her mental state and instantly her hands went to Bella's shirt and curled through the fabric at her back when soft lips journeyed from her eyelids to her cheeks and neck.

Bella hovered over her defunct pulse point and Alice closed her eyes and let the lust and need slip over her like a comfortable blanket. Bella drove forward and kissed her there and back up her neck to her ears, which would have burned red, had there been blood there to rush through her veins. Instead Alice moaned and moved forward in a bid for more contact.

Bella shoved her back, firmly pressed her into the wall by her weight and ultimately Alice's own lack of desire to leave. Bella's forehead rested against her temple.

"Is this what you wanted?" The words were only meant for Alice and had attacked their intended target at her weakest points. It was what she wanted, despite the reality of it being so very clouded. Alice nodded against her for lack of proper words to describe how she felt. Bella growled against her neck obviously unappeased.

Alice swallowed thickly before responding. "Yes, please."

Bella purred in response and sucked at the tender spot behind Alice's ear causing Alice's knees to weaken. Bella's grip at her hip tightened and prevented her fall. Both of Bella's hands worked their way to Alice's waist. Her long fingers played with the leather waistband of Alice's pants until they'd wrapped themselves around the fabric. She was so controlled that Alice felt guilty. Her fingers flexed and ripped the silk shreds of Bella's shirt.

Bella kissed along her jaw line and smiled down at her. A light chuckle bounced between them. Bella leaned more heavily on Alice's frame so that their forehead's rested easily against one another.

"Say it again," Bella murmured and it sounded more like a command. A thrill of excitement slid down Alice's spine causing every muscle in her body to tighten in anticipation.

Alice inched forward, craving, demanding Bella's lips against her own. Bella pressed herself more firmly against her, shook her head and tisked lightly.

"You have to ask nicely, darlin," Bella answered.

"Please," Alice was surprised at how raspy her voice had become and embarrassed at how much she absolutely couldn't go another second without Bella kissing her. Her hands slid up Bella's back and, when there was no attempt to stop her, over her shoulders and into her hair.

She jerked her forward and without a fight Bella gave in. Their lips crashed together and a tidal wave of emotion engulfed her. In an instant Bella's arms had lifted Alice off the floor. Alice's legs easily encircled Bella's waist as her arms wrapped around her neck. She clung to her and growled against her lips when Bella pulled back and began to attack her neck.

"That's my girl," Bella purred when Alice threw her head back and moaned. Alice couldn't help herself and didn't much care to. Bella's eyes black eyes twinkled back at her just as Bella nipped her neck causing Alice to involuntarily buck into her.

Alice's lips parted and a guttural sound rolled forth, somewhere between a growl and moan. Her fingers tiptoed to the waistband of Bella's pants and in an instant she'd ripped through those as well. Her eyelids fluttered heavily and her hesitation seemed to disappear.

So far in this life it seemed that one human emotion always suddenly and decisively supplanted the other. Bella quickly switched them so that Alice's body thudded unceremoniously against the wall. Alice gasped and crushed Bella to her. There was heat sparking between their cool bodies that neither of them seemed to want to contain. Fingers trespassed and circled to the chorus of hisses and strangled moans. Despite the speed of things Alice recorded each second.

They ticked by at such a furious pace it felt as if the rest of the world were static. Eagerly, Alice wrapped her legs around Bella's waist and rolled her hips as if her need for pleasure were paramount. With a knowing smile Bella tore the pants from her legs carelessly. They landed alongside the remaining scraps of Bella's blouse. With nothing between them, neither of them was able to ignore the seriousness of Alice's need.

Embarrassment filled her. She had bypassed moist by this point and Bella's black eyes were full of excitement. Nerve ending after nerve ending peaked in the wake of Bella's touch culminating in the fierce coiling in Alice's gut. Words became unnecessary and had been supplanted by the growls and moans that filled the room. Alice's body snapped and writhed against Bella's even as Bella gripped her narrow waist and hoisted her up the wall, striking a match on the memory of their time in the train car when her first true feelings of possessiveness stirred.

Alice's back arched away from the wall at just the flutter of a kiss on her inner thighs, her muscles twitched against the warmth of Bella's breath and the firmness of her grip. With Bella's hands on both of her knees holding her open and up trapped against her Alice experienced the fullness of her choice and the gravity of the pressing demand that was tearing at her from the inside out. She glanced down at her mate's face of crème skin, black eyes, and a hungry smile. It was the same expression she wore when she hunted. Bella dove forward as if unable to keep away any longer and Alice was lost.

Her fingers threaded through Bella's hair and held Bella close, jerking her back when she even hinted at backing away. Bella's grip on her knees tightened and sharp jabs of pain mingled with the pleasure that was rapidly spreading through Alice. A growl tore through her vocal chords and Bella increased her pace, not letting up for a second, resulting in Alice slamming her head back into the wall and fisting Bella's silken strands.

Her heart had no way to beat and in it's place her mind raced through all of the most pleasurable things she'd ever known so quickly that she imagined it to be the same. It was her first breath in this life, the swift and inescapable high from running between the trees mixed with the ripping open of her vampiric senses after Bella's shield had been removed and the thrill of danger rolled up into one. Perceptively she thought to catalog the curling of every toe and strangled cry before she began to come down from heaven, whimpering and shaking without the need to breathe but a heightened sensitivity that nearly dulled everything but the feeling of Bella's teeth sinking into her left thigh. Pain bloomed and exited her body in the form of a gasp. Bella's venom mixed with her own. A thousand needles pricked against her skin, making her more aware of an imperceptible change than she would have been. Her body trembled in Bella's hands and before she knew it she was on the bed again with Bella's head buried between her thighs, taking turns between kissing the mark and lapping at her wet folds. It created the sensation of being overcome and relieved all at once, which fed into a cycle that left her shattered and rebuilt over and over until Bella languidly crawled up her body, kissing every inch of her until she could run her nose along her jaw.

Bella pressed their lips together tentatively and once she was sure Alice was beyond all right she smiled brightly and kissed her more fully. Alice stiffened and shook against her. Alice stroked Bella's hair as Bella's fingers glided over her breasts. The hunger revitalized, growing inside of her while Bella's fingers tip toed their way back between Alice's thighs. Pride bloomed and Alice for once didn't care about biology or the insanity of the mating bond. She needed Bella's touch, craved it, and would die with out it. Bella's fingers circled around the tight bundle of nerves that made Alice moan and jerk her hips upwards. Bella nestled beside her and with nimble fingers she kept Alice on the edge of orgasm all the while growling in her ear words that Alice couldn't make out in spite of Bella's distraction.

A particularly loud growl caught her attention just as Bella let up on her teasingly firm circles. Alice whimpered against her.

"So beautiful," Bella murmured against her neck. It wasn't lost on Alice that her teeth were bared and she herself had begun to tilt her head back in an attempt to give her mate more access. She bucked against Bella's slow moving fingers and growled at her. Couldn't she see how much she needed her? Bella grinned wickedly as if able to read her thoughts.

"Mine," Bella's words vibrated against Alice's ear. Her stomach tightened and her hips inched forward. Bella growled again sending a pleasurable shudder through Alice's whole body and silencing the chains that mildly rattled in the back of her mind. She hissed low when Bella's fingers slid into her.

"Yours," her voice was barely above a whisper. Bella's gaze met her own and Alice swallowed thickly under her wide-eyed stare. She'd never seen Bella look so vulnerable, not even when she'd let her take her frustrations out on her body in the mountains.

She needed to hear the words. She needed to feel that Alice wasn't leaving her that she loved her, couldn't and wouldn't ever stay away. The confirmation was superficial; they both knew that they'd never be able to resist the bond again. Even still, Alice could see it though in Bella's eyes and the memories of their past. More than anything, Alice wanted to give it to her. Her body curled closer to Bella's and with her hand in Bella's hair Alice pulled her close and kissed her.

"Yours, Bella," Alice said, plainly. "Always yours."

Bella smiled for the briefest second before her expression darkened beyond anything Alice had ever seen. Bella dove for her neck, just at the base where she could have easily decapitated Alice. Her fingers resumed their former purpose and Alice was lost again in the dual pain and pleasure as her body rocked against Bella's hand. Bella's teeth sank easily past Alice's granite skin and bone. The cycle began again and every inch of her burned and bucked against Bella's body, which now covered hers. Alice hissed and grasped the back of Bella's neck once she'd pulled away from her to survey the mark. Bella grinned in the moment between admiring her handiwork and Alice flipping them over.

Alice straddled Bella's waist and groaned at the pressure on the mark on her thigh. Control left her tiny form and Bella welcomed the demanding kisses that rained down on her lips, face, and neck. Where Alice had been bare of marks Bella had plenty across her smooth skin. The raised marks called to Alice and while she would have loved nothing more than to mark over every one of them, one in particular called out to her like a siren. It was the perfect mirror of the one Bella had just given her. Maria's mark stood out like a sore thumb, an offense to them both, a mistake in need of correction.

"You'll want to taste me first," Bella's words crossed her mind and caused her to take pause. She lifted one eyebrow and cocked her head to the side.

"I'll taste different after you mark me," Bella replied earnestly. Alice sniffed the air and tried to smell a difference between them and when their mingled scents provided too much for her to separate she kissed her way down Bella's body to find out for herself.

She grasped Bella's creamy pale thighs and lifted them to her shoulders, which allowed her better access. She placed light kisses to Bella's already slick folds and groaned appreciatively when Bella bucked against her. She held her hips firmly, not allowing her to budge when she parted Bella's lips and took the tiny bundle of nerves that mirrored her own between her teeth.

Bella rewarded her with a guttural moan that set Alice's chest rumbling. Bella's arousal hit her straight on and her taste was beyond the sweetest blood Alice could imagine. The only thing Alice could think of was that she needed more. Her tongue darted out then flattened against Bella's clitoris. She lapped again and again with the inescapable urge to taste more of her burning her from the inside out. With each eager pass Bella cried louder, groaned and grasped the sheets. Alice ignored the rips at first but caught out of the corner of her eye several feathers floating past her.

Bella's fingers had past the sheets and dug into the mattress. The knowledge only spurred Alice on. The moans, the destruction of the bed, it was all for her, only her. Alice groaned and continued her assault, alternating between nibbling and sucking on the bud and lapping at her quivering entrance. It didn't seem to matter what she did, though. Her Bella continued to hiss and moan at each touch. Her voice began to crescendo until Alice could no longer hold her down. Bella's hips bucked violently in her direction and metal twisted beneath them as she came. Alice didn't let up until the bed sank beneath them, having no frame to support the middle.

Alice glanced up at Bella's face. Her gaze was impenetrable; her eyes were dark with need, jaw slackened, and her body still trembled. Bella growled at her, outright, challenging. Alice hissed back and dropped her head down to her right thigh. Her lips latched on to her supple skin in time with her jaw snapping shut. Her teeth bore down, broke through the granite, and the thrill of her own venom pumping freely into her mate caused Alice to shudder delightfully.

Bella moaned loudly but stayed still until Alice was satisfied with her mark. It only took a few moments for Alice to disengage and crawl back up Bella's body.

"Does it hurt?" Alice asked her as Bella trashed beneath her. Bella's eyes were still dark and Alice could smell her potent arousal. She tried and failed to lock her body in place before she grasped Bella's chin between her fingers and jerked her closer.

Bella's arousal peaked and out of curiosity Alice leaned back and swiped her fingers across Bella's entrance slowly and firmly enough to make Bella cry out. Alice brought her fingers to her lips and sucked them clean. She groaned.

"You do taste differently," Alice purred against Bella's neck. She eyed Maria's mark again and growled. Without another word she bit down over the mark, angled so that she would completely eclipse it. Bella wrapped her arms around her and hissed but never let go. Her fingers threaded through Alice's hair and towards the end she fisted the strands and began to pant with effort to stay still. When Alice pulled away and looked into her eyes she saw the pain and satisfaction there.

"I love you," Bella murmured. "No one else. Not ever."

Alice smiled and licked at her lower lip. "I love you Bella Swan, always."

It was true. Down to the very bones of Alice's body it was true. And she'd protect that love if it meant her life. She'd seen it.

They stayed still for a while longer before Bella rolled her hips against Alice and the seemingly never ending desire pooled between Alice's thighs again. If they kept up like this she was sure they'd never get anything accomplished. She trumped the thought immediately after Bella shoved her back onto the mattress and disappeared between her thighs. For once, she was going to enjoy the moment for however long it had been granted to them.

By the time the sun rose Alice had admittedly lost several hours while ensconced in Bella's arms. They'd taken to resting after the last round and relaxed with their limbs draped over each other in a seemingly lazy way. Only they knew that they could easily be ready to grab each other and run an at moments notice. Alice's gaze remained locked on Bella's and words were not spoken. The rest was physically unnecessary for either of them but Alice liked to quiet. If not for the silence she'd have never noticed the intense power building in her chest. She purred and Bella joined her. They inched closer together and stroked each other's hair and backs sounding like two large satisfied cats.

Alice kissed her mark on Bella's neck and grinned. Bella was hers and now everyone would know it.

"Some one is very pleased with herself," Bella taunted. Alice glanced up at her with large hungry eyes and smiled.

"It's not my fault I can't get enough," Alice stipulated. "This is all your doing."

Bella raised an eyebrow for lack of a response.

"You're the one who barged in my asylum and ate my bird," Alice said seriously. "If not for that, I'd be a lost lonely little vampire, I'd actually probably be already dead."

Bella stiffened and Alice pressed a kiss to her lips already aware of the need for comfort. She kissed her lips until Bella relaxed against her again. "Alive. Very much alive now, thank you very much. Have I ever done that?"

"What?"

"Thanked you for saving me," Alice said. "Thank you."

Bella sat up and brought Alice with her. Alice wrapped her legs around Bella's waist and groaned at the friction. Sweet, unyielding friction. She rested her forehead against Bella's and rolled her hips a little. Bella returned in kind. Her brain was shorting out again from whatever it was that was driving her to make love to her mate once more, lust, love, supernatural demand, she didn't care anymore. All that mattered was the soft sigh that escaped from Bella's lips. Alice lifted herself higher to stop the contact. Bella pouted and Alice would have joined her if not for the fact that she was the perpetrator here.

"Not yet, I have to say this. I've been wanting to tell you," Alice said. "You saved me, not just back at the asylum but in the mountains. I'm so sorry I did that to you."

Bella nodded against her then looked her in the eye. "No more apologies. We saved each other, remember?"

Alice grimaced. She was pretty sure Bella had done most of the saving but was in no need to argue when Bella's fingers began circling her slick entrance. At her angle Alice watched Bella's fingers disappear inside of her, felt them curl against her, and felt the emptiness of their removal. She groaned and watched the routine repeat over and over, unable to stop gripping Bella's shoulders, clenching around her fingers, and crying out helplessly.

Bella smirked obviously pleased with herself. Alice decided to rectify it by shoving her backwards and leaving a trail of kisses down her thighs. It was in this exact position that they found themselves in several hours later despite the numerous polite knocks on the door and the thunder claps of sparring occurring outside their window. Alice grinned as she watched Bella climax for the umpteenth time. It felt like she was making up for lost time. She could think of no better way.

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><p>AN: I sincerely apologize for not updating sooner. This chapter was difficult to write. I've never really written lesbian sex scenes before and continued to second guess myself into a corner in November that left me blocked until very recently. I hope this was a satisfactory mating for you guys and it didn't feel forced and awkward! If you could let me know what worked and didn't work I would greatly appreciate it! The next chapter will progress the plot more.


	21. Chapter 21

A/n: I know its been a while. Please don't hate me! *hides*

Also you know the drill I own nothing other than the plot and characterization. Yadda Yadda...all rights belong to Stephanie Meyer...Yadda please don't sue me.

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><p>Alice rotated her hips and in an instant was airborne. Her legs released their grip on Kate's upper body, an alternative to wrapping her legs around her throat in an attempt to kill her, and her moment of free fall was cut short when she landed a short distance away. Kate was barely down for a second and launched herself at Alice's legs.<p>

It had been two weeks since Bella had marked her and the smoothness of the air slipping past the bite mark on Alice's neck still made her shiver. She lost her concentration for a second too late and Kate had tackled her to the ground and had her lips far too close to Alice's throat for her own comfort. She bucked beneath her until Jasper came closer.

"That won't do you any good Alice," Jasper's voice radiated disappointment. He sidestepped Kate who had Alice trapped between her knees with her fingers digging into her shoulder. The area pulsed in a tiny rhythm that swelled her small frame with rage. Embarrassed again. Her head snapped back into the dirt and she tried to remain calm. She rolled her head to the side and caught Bella's thoughtful gaze. Her mate was crouched low ready to pounce. She was safe.

Alice felt the fight go out of her. She glanced back at Jasper and rolled her eyes at his grin.

"Alright, what did I do to get myself killed this time?"

Jasper crouched down beside her and set his hand on Kate's shoulder when she tried to move away.

"This will be good for both of you," he said then stepped away.

Kate never took her eyes off Alice's neck while most of her weight was relaxed. The intensity terrified, Alice. The blonde vampire had mostly seemed sweet aside from Alice's earlier mistrust of the entire Denali clan. Her shoulder still pulsed and it only served to remind Alice that they were all of them a family of killers if only for the fact that they were all vampires. That Kate only appeared demure worried her further. What if this were only a small glance at her skill and strength? How could Alice ever help them in a battle?

"Kate, you've got Alice down. You're going in for the kill. Why is your body at ease? Every part of you should be tensed."

"Why?" Kate asked, her intensity waivered for a moment. Alice caught Jasper's eye again and watched his hand tilt from side to side like the motion of a boat rocking in the water.

Alice shifted automatically and without Kate's pressure grinding her into the ground she was able to knock her off balance enough to escape her grasp. She was on her feet and in a defensive stance before Kate rose from the ground. Now she was at an advantage.

"Until you've ripped their head from their necks your fight isn't over. Never relax. Even after your opponent is decapitated and burning your fight isn't done. This is an army of uncontrollable killers coming after you, they will show you none of the mercy you are capable of showing them."

Kate nodded. "Acknowledged."

"Again!" Jasper shouted. They went at each other for three more rounds, clashing in sharp cracks of thunder and growls for another hour before he sent them to the sidelines.

Bella nudged her arm when Alice flopped down beside her on the ground.

"You were magnificent," she said. Long strands of hair whipped around her with the wind. Autumn had passed them by while they had been at the house. The leaves kept dying and the grass pricked at her hard skin. She already missed the early summer from whence she was born. The heat that bore down on them was barely enough to make her feel the slightest bit warmer. The clouds passed overhead and the light hit Bella's face just right. Her skin lit like a thousand blinking diamonds.

"You're the magnificent one," Alice said. She leaned forward and brushed their lips together. Her need crashed down on her and she marveled at how each time they touched she felt like an electric current were rushing through her making her numb to the feeling of falling. Bella's arms wrapped around her, grounded her, and the feeling sharpened her emotions. When they broke apart no one commented though Jasper looked disturbed.

"I apologize," he said once Bella took up a match against Esme. Alice didn't deign to rise to speak with him and he didn't bother to sit down. Their silence wasn't uncomfortable it just existed. Alice supposed he didn't mind her especially since she felt no animosity towards him since the marking. She had mostly avoided Edward and with those two glaring means of hating each other gone they had actually started speaking more often.

He instructed her in matches rather than let her fall on her ass. She listened more than growled at him.

"What for?" Alice asked.

"My empathic abilities get away from me when the fighting starts. I'm mostly able to shut down and give people their privacy but when I'm around any sort of violence it's too difficult to try and keep everything out."

Alice shrugged and kept her eyes on Bella. Her mate was more of a head on fighter than Alice ever could be. Her lithe frame moved with grace along with Esme's. While Bella was more aggressive and offensive, Esme was merely defensive. She backed away for each strike Bella handed out. Her mate grew tired of it quickly.

"Seems like everyone has had some problems with their gifts," Alice said.

"Yes. Because we help each other from time to time," Jasper said. "I'm not half the monster I was when I got here any more. Most of that is due to Edward but a lot of it has to do with the family as well."

It was difficult but Alice managed to tear her gaze from Bella's match to look up at the family's military advisor. Her eyebrows rose. "Why, Major, are you asking us to join your little vampire family?"

Jasper grimaced and Alice saw the reality of it right there. The idea was an awkward one at best. She glanced back at Bella whom had started to play Esme's game of keep away herself. Esme was put on the offensive and failed to keep Bella from slipping beneath her and slamming her into the ground.

"Think about it," Jasper drawled. "You need us just as much as we need you."

Carlisle edged around the field in front of them to be closer to Esme. Alice glared at him while he blocked her view of Bella.

"He won't be a problem if that's what you're thinking," Jasper said. He earned another shrug.

"He can hear you, you know."

"I know. And he knows he's treated you unfairly since you've arrived. He wants to apologize," Jasper said.

"Certainly he does," Alice said. Carlisle turned his head to look at them. For a brief moment Alice thought he might actually adopt a kind face and speak to her. Instead he scowled and shuffled forward to help Esme to her feet. She resisted the urge to growl when Esme hugged Bella instead of shaking her hand.

"He's not overly accepting of new people."

"You don't say!" Alice exclaimed.

"I heard he served you fresh animal blood that he hunted down himself on your first day. Then he patted you on the head and called you son right off the bat," Alice said. She tilted her head to the side feeling not in the least bit trusting at the moment. She'd trust them when they had her mate's back on the battlefield.

"As I said, think about it. The future seems less bleak when you have people around that care about you. I know that better than anyone," Jasper said.

Alice snorted then replied. "I'm sure I know myself and Bella better. We're better off alone once the threat is clear. It's a fact. I've seen it."

"The future is never as clear as it seems," Jasper said.

Alice watched him walk back to the field and ask Esme what she thought she could have done to prevent the literally back splitting defeat.

"Well, I do suppose I could have not allowed Bella to put me on the offensive," Esme said. She groaned through the pain of her body healing the fractures.

"True," Jasper said. "However, someday you will have to go on the offensive, sticking with your strong suit doesn't help."

"Again!"

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><p>After Bella's matches Alice had become accustomed to following Eleazar out of the training area and either into the house or, more recently, further into the woods. Without the long separation from her mate and the boxed in feeling of being locked in a room with him, she felt more at ease. She supposed Eleazar felt less like she'd leap across the room and take his head off.<p>

In the forest she preferred climbing rather than standing. So, she picked a tree with a substantial but low branch and perched there. Eleazar remained on the ground, which suited her just fine. Just like in her matches, distance from her opponent gave her leverage and power. Not a bad deal, at all.

"Let's begin with your breathing exercises," Eleazar said. His smile still made her eyes roll. For the life of her she couldn't imagine why he got such amusement from their sessions.

"It's stupid," Alice responded. He shook his head. She knew the answer before he spoke, so that when he was silent she huffed and ignored the argument.

She inhaled deeply and slowly, as he'd taught her. It was something that was once natural to her body but difficult to learn in her current form. She forced herself not to exhale too quickly. After her first aspiration she felt her body relax slightly.

"That's it. Focus on your breathing, let it draw you further in," he said.

Alice complied. This was better than the shock of being dumped inside her mind. Less terrifying than being thrown into her own scene of death or Bella's. Her body relaxed fully until she had slumped against the large tree trunk. She could hear the rhythm of the forest and felt it in her fingertips. In the distance she could hear the matches and could still smell Bella as she trained.

"Let go of the present, let your mind wander, just feel," Eleazar said.

Alice tried. Part of her gift was letting go of her current self and whatever was happening around her. It was allowing herself to just exist while the world still turned. It also meant being blind to everything else, vulnerable if someone found her unconscious. Eleazar theorized that was why her first visions were so harshly delivered. She was unable to relax into them but the proximity of the events was so near that her mind forced her to experience them immediately.

"I can't," Alice said. She exhaled quickly and sat up straight. "This is foolish and it isn't working."

Eleazar shook his head. "It has worked before. If only for a moment."

He was correct; she'd give him that. "Yes, two days ago I saw Bella and I hunting in the woods in the same attire we're wearing today. And we went hunting this morning, how wonderfully important to our situation!"

Eleazar sighed and moved closer to the tree so that he was staring directly at her. "This is practice."

"This is folly!"

"Folly?"

"You heard me! What happens when I'm laid out somewhere and Maria attacks?"

"That won't happen," he said. His calm tone was about as comforting as Kate's fingers digging into her arm had been.

"Oh, goodness, are you able to see the future, too?" Alice asked. She straightened her back and placed a delicate hand over eyes.

"Tell me my future, oh great Eleazar Denali. Will I burn to ashes while incapacitated and breathing deeply and needlessly somewhere on this property?"

"You're being very inappropriate. Are you proud?"

"Very much," Alice said without hesitation. "Eleazar, there has to be something better to my gift. If I can see the future by way of someone making a decision while I'm concentrating on them then why can't I see someone making a decision in a fight?" She asked.

She dropped down next to him and shook her head. "I wish there were a defensive quality."

"There may yet be one, but we'll never access it if you don't learn to control yourself and your emotions," he said.

"What the hell do my emotions have to do with anything?" Alice asked.

"The breathing is as much to focus you as to calm you," Eleazar explained. "The calmer you are the easier it is to connect to your gift, I've seen it many times."

"Like with Kate?"

"Exactly," he said. "Her gift manifested first when she was attacked by a nomadic vampire early in her newborn year. Fear drove her gift to act defensively and for a very long time fear was the only thing that brought it out. Eventually, on her own time and with me we figured out that if she could control that emotion and learn to be calm during a time when she's otherwise not be, she could use her electro kinesis as an offensive weapon. Not as a last resort."

"And how do I get to that point? Wait a thousand years?" Alice asked. This was impossible. She might as well go back to her physical training rather than this useless mess.

"Practice. You'll never be able to fully use your gift in battle before they get here but you will be able to predict how the fight goes, what Maria has to her advantage, and you'll be able to better prepare us all for what we'll be up against. That is invaluable. I wouldn't trade it for anything."

It was impossible to not feel a little deflated at his words. Even with her disappointment clear in her mind he was correct. It was irritating but true. She wouldn't trade being able to give Bella important information about Maria for anything. She flopped down into some of the leaves at the base of the trunk and closed her eyes to the world. Eleazar didn't speak but she heard his earlier instructions again regardless of his silence. It took five deep breaths for her to relax, and another two for her to let go of her surroundings. Everything disappeared but her connection to Bella, and it was her that she focused on immediately.

Again, she was in a hallway of possibilities, the strongest ones pulled her closer to their doors. Behind the strongest one, Bella was on the battlefield, attacking Maria with her father racing towards them, Alice herself was on his trail.

Alice watched her future self take Charles down but he didn't fight he only screamed. Bella was outmatched by Maria's strength but with Jasper's help they removed the head of his sire. Charles was still screaming and Alice lost her grip on him. She expected him to run to Maria but just as quickly as she was on her feet and following him again, he had bypassed Jasper and Bella and was on his way across the field. From beside her future self, Alice could see his line of vision. Tanya wasn't faring well with three opponents attacking her from all sides. She was already missing a chunk of her arm. The small group of vampires took out one of her legs and went for her throat.

Alice knew the vision was over when her future body kept moving with Bella beside her and she was yanked back, out of the room, with the door slamming shut before her eyes. There was something more pressing about to happen. Her body jerked when pulled toward the more demanding door, which flung open at her appearance. Alice fell through, and while it felt like she was falling she was merely getting closer to the scene below her where a man with dirty blonde hair stared at her future body from across the room. He was held between Peter and Charlotte but didn't try to get away.

Emotions bubbled up from within as she watched him lift his head and expose his blood red eyes. He slumped low between the couple and did fight when they pulled him closer to his progeny. Alice barely had time to expect her future self's reaction, she was concentrated on his face, and where his sadistic smile had once been was a solid line of determination. His eyes betrayed loss but no fear. Bella was beside Future Alice, running her fingers over her back in a circular motion.

"What do you want to do?" Bella asked her. Future Alice had no answer and present Alice had none either. In the future, she leapt forward in response and ripped him limb from limb. His sadistic smile was hers as if passed down genetically. Alice heard cries as she was pulled away from the scene, but they weren't James'. She saw him smile when his head was removed; the expression was permanently etched on his face when his head went into the unlit fireplace. The screams were the worst.

Unidentifiable but filled with desperation. James wanted to die and at her hand. In the hallway Alice dropped to her knees and closed her eyes. The sounds of the world came rushing back and she gasped as if she had been drowning. She was in the forest again; Eleazar was on his knees in front of her peering at her intently.

"Are you alright Alice?"

"It works," Alice said. She wasn't sure what to tell him about James or the battle. What decisions had been instrumental in causing those? She had been focused on Bella but what did she have to do with James? What did Charlie have to do with Tanya? Was he not going to be as much of a problem during the fight as they thought?

Eleazar smiled at her and tried to return it. He didn't ask her what she saw and she was thankful about that. She went through the events of her vision with James again. If she were only focused on Bella then it was likely that she had decided to bring James to her.

"Good news," Bella said. Alice scented her and accepted the wave of serenity that washed over her as she approached. Eleazar stood up and Alice mirrored him. Bella went to her and wrapped her arms around her body.

"Peter and Charlotte are moving closer to us. Jasper said he can feel them nearby and they seem to have brought Laurent and Irina," she said. Alice stiffened.

"Is that all that they brought?" Alice asked. Bella merely blinked. Her jaw tightened and Alice knew it wasn't her question. It was the answer.

"It's James," Alice said. "I know."

The world felt heavy again. She felt free from him but with the knowledge that he was on his way even if it were for her to kill him reminded her of the faint sound of chains clanking together in her mind.

"How long?" Alice asked.

"They should be here just after sundown," Bella said. "How did you know he was coming?"

"I need to be alone," Alice responded. Bella let her arms fall to her side and Alice regretting being the reason for the hurt on her face. She kissed her before she sped up the tree.

"She'll be okay," Eleazar said from down below.

"I hope so," Bella said. A breeze drifted past and they were gone. Alice tried to breathe and focus so she could see more but all she could see were his eyes. The expression before she attacked him was a look she'd seen in one of her visions, on Bella's face when a Future Alice had died.

"James had a mate," Alice said aloud. She sat until the sun began to set, trying to figure out whether that fact mattered to her or not.

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><p>AN: Next chapter will be up by Thursday come hell or high water. I hope you liked it! Please review.


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